Lok Sabha Question No. 5277 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Testing Capacity of Laboratories
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5277

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## TESTING CAPACITY OF LABORATORIES

## 5277.   SHRI ARUN BHARTI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of Government laboratories that have received financial support under the scheme for upgrading testing infrastructure and creating new facilities;
- (b) the specific critical areas in which new facilities have been created and the corresponding financial allocation made for each area under the scheme;
- (c) the impact of the scheme on the testing capacity and quality of services offered by laboratories such as NPL, NTH and FSSAI; and
- (d) future  plans  to  extend  this  scheme  to  other  laboratories  or  for  further  expansion  including  the budgetary allocation and the timeline for the next phase?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L. VERMA)

(a)    &  (b)    :Besides  budgetary  allocations  operated  by  various  Departments  of  the  Government  for upgrading  testing  infrastructure  and  creating  new  facilities,  a  scheme  has  been  operationalized  by Department  of  Consumer  Affairs  with  support  from  BIS's  own  funds.  Proposals  received  from  52 laboratories for financial support have been approved under this scheme for upgrading testing infrastructure and  creating  new  facilities  .The  details  of  the  approved  proposals  for  creation  of  test  facility  in  specific critical areas along with financial allocation is given at Annexure.

(c) & (d) : The impact of this scheme on the testing capacity and quality of services offered by laboratories can be assessed after the installation and operationalization of test facilities approved under the scheme .The scheme besides other factors,  has  made  a  positive  impact  on  the  testing  capacity  and  quality  of  services offered by NTH:

|   S.No. | Parameter                  | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022- 23   | 2023-24   | (2024-25 (till Feb 20 25   |
|---------|----------------------------|-----------|-----------|------------|-----------|----------------------------|
|       1 | No .of samples tested      | 15,120    | 15,057    | 18,198     | 28,639    | 42,325                     |
|       2 | Revenue earned in ₹ crores | 15.65     | 16.82     | 20.71      | 29.65     | 40.47                      |

Besides the improvement in sample flow during this period with the implementation of the scheme, the quality of NTH services has also improved with the introduction of a comprehensive online solution for all  testing  processes,  which  has  enhanced  the  traceability,  accuracy,  and  reliability  of  test  results  and fostered greater confidence among customers.

This scheme to support Government laboratories is an ongoing scheme .Proposals are considered as and  when  received  from  organizations  as  per  the  approved  guidelines  .No  separate  budgetary  head  is allocated  to  the  scheme  since  the  scheme  is  being  supported  by  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards(  'BIS)  own funds.

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ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NUMBER  NO.5277 FOR ANSWER  ON  02.04.2025  REGARDING  TESTING CAPACITY OF LABORATORIES.

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## The list of proposals approved is as under :

| S . No .   | Proposal for Strengthening                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Approximate Cost                                        |
|------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 1          | Proposal for Strengthening of Cotton fibre testing infrastructure at 21 Laboratories of Textiles Committee, Powerloom Service Centres and Cotton Corporation of India                                                                                   | Rs 38 . 72 Crores .                                     |
| 2          | Proposal for Strengthening of the FSSAI ' s notified Food Testing Laboratories for Organic Food Testing including 12 FSSAI Notified State Food Laboratory and 12 FSSAI Notified Labs working under other Government Organizations                       | Rs 116 . 25 Crore .                                     |
| 3          | Proposal for Advancement of Metrology for Reliability, Inspection and Testing ( AMRIT ) submitted by National Physical Laboratory                                                                                                                       | Rs 37 . 49 Crores spread across three years' duration . |
| 4          | Proposal for establishment of Robotic Mass Comparators with other equipment at RRSLs for calibration of E0 and E1 Class weights . The establishment is to be carried out in a phase wise manner after ensuring the required infrastructure at the RRSLs | Rs . 100 Crore for all 5 RRSLs .                        |
| 5          | Proposal for creation of Integrated Test Facility for Power Transmission & Distribution Sectors including Short Circuit Test Facility of Transformers at NTH Jaipur                                                                                     | Rs . 50 . 11 Crore                                      |
| Total      | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Rs 342 . 57 Crore .                                     |

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