Retailers in several states have received show cause notices from Legal Metrology authorities for not declaring a “date of manufacture” on garments and hosiery sold loose or open for inspection, despite an exemption that appears to cover exactly this case.

Rule 26(f) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, inserted in 2022 and effective since January 2023, requires such products to carry only the manufacturer’s details, country of origin, consumer care contact, size and MRP, not a manufacture date.

The Retailers Association of India has written to Ashutosh Agarwal, Director of Legal Metrology at the Department of Consumer Affairs, seeking a central clarification to state enforcement officers to standardise implementation. RAI said divergent state-level interpretation of the same central rule was creating regulatory confusion and unfair penalties for retailers already in compliance.