Shillong survey firm loses factory status after regulatory review

Shillong survey firm loses factory status after regulatory review

The Chief Inspector of Boilers and Factories in Meghalaya has stripped M/s Meghalaya Survey of its factory registration, marking a significant administrative shift for the Lachumiere Hills-based establishment.

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India TodayNE
  • Oct 17, 2025,
  • Updated Oct 17, 2025, 7:49 PM IST

The Chief Inspector of Boilers and Factories in Meghalaya has stripped M/s Meghalaya Survey of its factory registration, marking a significant administrative shift for the Lachumiere Hills-based establishment.

The decision centres on a critical finding: the surveying unit fails to meet the legal definition of a "factory" under Section 2m(i) of the Factories Act, 1948, which specifically outlines what qualifies as a manufacturing premises requiring registration and oversight.

Officials have removed the firm from the state's registry of factories, cancelling registration number SH/14 that was previously granted under the 1948 Act. The derecognition follows an assessment against provisions set forth in both the central legislation and the Meghalaya Factories Rules, 1980.

The Factories Act typically applies to premises where manufacturing processes occur with a minimum number of workers, or where power is used in production. Survey operations, however, generally fall outside this scope as they involve measurement and documentation rather than manufacturing activities.

The regulatory body issued a public notification to ensure transparency regarding the administrative change. This affects the unit's compliance obligations, as registered factories must adhere to specific safety standards, working conditions, and inspection protocols that no longer apply to M/s Meghalaya Survey.

The deregistration does not necessarily reflect any violations by the company, but rather corrects a classification that may have been inappropriate from the outset given the nature of surveying work conducted at the Shillong location.

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