City jewellers to protest hallmarking process today

Though it was voluntary earlier, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) made it mandatory from June 16 in about 256 districts that have assaying and hallmarking centres, said Uday Vummidi, president, Chennai Jewellers’ Association.

“Due to capacity inadequacy, 16 to 18 crore pieces are lying without hallmarking. There is an estimated three-year backlog, as the current capacity of hallmarking centres is only about 2 lakh pieces per day,” he said.

Now, the bureau introduced Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID) system, a six-digit code for every piece of hallmarked gold article. “This can lead to an additional delay of about 5-10 days, further affecting the retail jewellery sector, especially the small, standalone shops,” he added.

If the new tracking system was required, the authorities should take the trade and industry along, and take into consideration factors like feasibility and infrastructure, said Jayanthilal Chalani, president, Jewellers and Diamond Traders’ Association. “HUID is arbitrary and it is unfriendly to customers and detrimental to the growth of the industry, especially the small and medium jewellers,” he alleged.