Section 30 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 30 is the short-measure section. It punishes a seller who delivers less than the quantity or number contracted or paid for, a service provider who renders less service than contracted or paid for, and, on the buying side, a person who fraudulently receives more than was contracted or paid for or obtains more service than was contracted or paid for. It is not amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 would change only the repeat-offence steps, from its notified date.
Section 30 punishes (a) a seller who delivers less quantity or number than contracted or paid for, (b) a service provider who renders less service than contracted or paid for, (c) a buyer who fraudulently receives more than contracted or paid for, and (d) a person who obtains service in excess of what was contracted or paid for. As enacted and unchanged by the 2023 Act, the fine can extend to Rs 10,000; repeat offences can bring imprisonment up to one year. The 2026 Act would add a Rs 20,000 second-offence step, from its notified date.
The four limbs
Section 30 applies to "whoever":
| Limb | Situation | Conduct |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Selling any article or thing by weight, measure or number | Delivers, or causes to be delivered, to the purchaser any quantity or number less than the quantity or number contracted for or paid for |
| (b) | Rendering any service by weight, measure or number | Renders service less than the service contracted for or paid for |
| (c) | Buying any article or thing by weight, measure or number | Fraudulently receives, or causes to be received, any quantity or number in excess of that contracted or paid for |
| (d) | Obtaining any service by weight, measure or number | Obtains service in excess of the service contracted for or paid for |
Four points from the text:
- Both sides of the counter. Limbs (a) and (b) bind the seller or service provider; limbs (c) and (d) bind the buyer or recipient. The section is symmetrical.
- The yardstick is the contract or the payment. "Contracted for or paid for" means that a buyer who paid for one kilogram is owed one kilogram even if the contract was informal. The section does not require a written contract.
- Fraud is expressed only in limb (c). Limbs (a), (b) and (d) do not use the word "fraudulently" in the text, but (c) does. Do not read a fraud requirement into limbs (a) or (b).
- The measure must be by weight, measure or number. The section is aimed at quantity-based dealings: goods sold by weight, liquids by volume, items by count, and services measured the same way (for example, a metered service).
Section 12 supports the penalty: any custom, usage or practice permitting a person to demand or receive more or less than the quantity specified in the contract is void (see sections 11 and 12). So a trade custom of a routine deduction from the quantity cannot justify a short delivery.
A dispute over short delivery often also brings up unverified or tampered scales (section 33 and section 26). If you are facing an allegation of short delivery, legal dispute resolution support can help you assess which sections are actually in play.
The penalty
| Layer | Text |
|---|---|
| 1. As enacted in 2010 | Fine up to Rs 10,000; for the second or subsequent offence, imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both |
| 2. After the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) | No change. The 2023 Act's item for the Legal Metrology Act does not amend section 30 |
| 3. Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (Act 8 of 2026; in force only from the date the Central Government notifies; check the notification) | In the long line, "second or subsequent offence" is replaced by "second offence with fine which may extend to twenty thousand rupees and for the third or subsequent offence". On that text: first offence, fine up to Rs 10,000; second offence, fine up to Rs 20,000; third or subsequent offence, imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both |
Two observations:
- Section 30 is the one penalty section in this group where the 2023 Act left the old structure untouched. A first offence is still a fine of up to Rs 10,000, and a repeat offence still carries the possibility of imprisonment.
- The 2026 amendment does not use an improvement notice for section 30; it inserts an intermediate fine step before imprisonment. It remains unenforced until notified.
Forfeiture, seizure and compounding
- Compounding: Section 30 falls within sections 27 to 39 that the Director may compound (section 48(2)) and sections 27 to 31 that the Controller may compound (section 48(3)). The sum cannot exceed the maximum fine for the offence. The Packaged Commodities Rules' compounding table in rule 32A (as amended up to March 2022) lists only sections 29 and 36, so the sum for section 30 depends on the rules in force; our sources do not give it. See compounding of offences and our article on section 48.
- Seizure: Officers may seize weights, measures, goods and records under section 15 if they have reason to believe an offence is being committed.
- Civil remedy: Section 30 is a penal provision. It says nothing about a refund or compensation; any civil claim is governed by other law that these sources do not cover.
Practical points for sellers
- Check that the scale or measure used is verified and in working order (section 24). An error in the scale does not of itself make the person guilty under section 30, but the text looks at what was delivered against what was paid for.
- For packed goods, a shortfall in net quantity is punished under section 36(2), not section 30. See section 36.
- For service providers, keep the contract or rate card that shows what was sold by weight, measure or number.
Example 1. A vendor is paid for one kilogram of mangoes and delivers 900 grams. Section 30(a) applies.
Example 2. A buyer at a mandi, weighing on the seller's scale, arranges for extra quantity to be received without the seller noticing, beyond what was paid for. That is the "fraudulently receives" conduct in section 30(c).
Need help with a short-delivery allegation?
If you have been served a notice or prosecution citing section 30, or an officer has seized scales after a customer complaint, it helps to fix early which limb is alleged and which layer of the penalty applies. A consultation on legal dispute resolution can go through the complaint, the weighing records and the options, including compounding.
Key takeaways
- Section 30 punishes short delivery or short service by a seller or provider, and fraudulent excess receipt or excess service by a buyer or recipient.
- The yardstick is the quantity or number contracted for or paid for.
- The 2023 Jan Vishwas Act does not amend section 30: fine up to Rs 10,000 first offence; repeat offences can bring imprisonment up to one year.
- The 2026 Act would add a fine up to Rs 20,000 for the second offence and keep imprisonment for the third or later, from its notified date.
- The offence is compoundable under section 48.
Read next
- Sections 28 and 29 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Penalty for non-standard transactions and quotations
- Section 31 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Penalty for non-production of documents
- Section 33 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009: Penalty for use of unverified weight or measure
- Common Legal Metrology Violations and How to Avoid
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010) as enacted, read with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force; it does not amend section 30) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (Act 8 of 2026; its change to section 30 applies only from the date the Central Government notifies), as on 30 September 2026. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.