Ahmedabad: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Ahmedabad, conducted an enforcement raid on May 29 at the premises of M/s Banas Beverages, located on Siddhpur Road in Patan, following intelligence inputs that the unit was allegedly manufacturing and selling ISI-marked packaged drinking water without holding a valid BIS licence.

During the operation, BIS officials seized around 3,100 cartons containing nearly 50,000 bottles of packaged drinking water in 500 ml and 1-litre sizes. Officials also recovered stickers and labels bearing the ISI mark from the premises.

According to BIS, action is being initiated against the firm for the unauthorized use of the BIS Standard Mark, in violation of Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. The offence carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of not less than ₹2 lakh, or both. For subsequent violations, the fine may be not less than ₹5 lakh and can extend up to ten times the value of the goods involved.

In a press release, the BIS said that some manufacturers misuse the ISI mark without obtaining the mandatory certification in an attempt to mislead consumers. The bureau has been carrying out enforcement drives across the region whenever information regarding misuse of the BIS Standard Mark is received, with the objective of protecting consumers from deception and potential safety risks associated with uncertified products. DeshGujarat