5 years since inception, gold testing lab fails

KOCHI: Though gold prices have raced much ahead, the state’s only gold purity testing laboratory at Kakkanad is stuck where it has started five years ago with much fanfare.“The machines and equipment worth lakhs of rupees have been rendered useless. There are many hurdles that prevent the  laboratory from being operational,” N R Prasad, assistant  controller, Legal Metrology Department, said.He added that the laboratory lacked the accreditation of the  Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which was a major hurdle. Shortage of staff to carry out the tasks is another hindrance,” he said.Prasad said the BIS approval would come only after the laboratory met the requirements put forward by the organisation.“The BIS is very particular about its criterion. It wants employees who are graduates in metallurgy engineering or Msc  chemistry. We do not have candidates who fulfil the criterion,” he said.The authorities added that the government had plans to make the laboratory a referral institute where the purity of gold could be tested beyond doubt.As the BIS is granting the  accreditation to jewellery shops, most of their gold are  tested in their own hallmarking institutes.“Most of them use X-Ray fluorescence machine and the problem   with this method is that the rays only reach the surface and cannot penetrate to the lower layer, which gives a huge  chance for adulteration,” said the department authorities.They added that the laboratory makes use of fire assay test which is the most reliable method given the chances of adulteration. The laboratory was started by the Revenue Department during the tenure of the previous UDF government. Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan confirmed that there were not enough staff.“This is an issue awaiting solution for a long time. The department will take steps to make it operational,” he said.