Shillong, July 11: The Mobile Test Kit vehicle of the Legal Metrology department has been lying unutilized for the past many years after it was found not feasible for hilly terrain.

The vehicle weight about 30 metric tonnes is being parked in the premises of the District Transport Office (DTO) East Khasi Hills District.

Controller of Legal Metrology IW Ingty told reporters here on Tuesday that the matter was taken up with the Central government with a request to take the vehicle back or give it to Assam but there was no response from the Centre even after writing to them several times.

The State government urged Centre to replace the vehicle with small Mobile Test Kit vehicles which are of 16 metric tons.

The maintenance cost of the big mobile test kit vehicle is Rs 6,000, and it would take six and a half hours to take the vehicle from Shillong to Jowai, Ingty said.

The vehicle was sanctioned in 2009 by the Centre but due to technical problem, the vehicle is lying idle though it is still in a workable condition.

Meanwhile the State Legal Metrology department is facing constraints in its functioning due to lack of man power and fund, though the department is answerable to consumers to ensure that traders do the right kind of weight and measure.
Due to lack of financial support from the State government, the department could not even organise awareness programme to make consumers aware of their rights.