While informing the media via a video conference, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, on Friday, said that all imported toys will be allowed in the country only after they comply with a quality control order that will come into force from September 1.
Further, Paswan said, “Officers of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will be posted at seven Indian ports and will take samples and test the products for quality”.
The Toys (Quality Control) Order, which is issued by the Commerce Ministry in 2020, will be applicable for both foreign and domestic toy manufacturers. BIS had asked toy manufacturers to get a licence for the same.
The Minister said that mandatory standards are being finalised for many other sectors as well. BIS DG Pramod Tiwari informed that there are about 268 mandatory standards in the country and many are in the pipeline.
Replying to a question, Tiwari said “BIS staff at major ports will take samples and test the product at the port itself. But shipments will not be stopped at the port, and there will be two levels of quality checks: first, a physical inspection of a factory location from where the imported product is sourced abroad, and checking again at ports.”
Earlier this month, the Central Government in light of the India-China border rift and to promote domestic manufacturing also imposed strict import curbs on Chinese products such as coloured televisions. The government is also mulling duty hike on textiles cameras, laptops etc.
