Dubious plywood haul in Siliguri: Bureau of Indian Standards seizes 300 fake or unlicensed units
Telegraph | 26 February 2026
A five-member team from the Calcutta branch office of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted a search and seizure operation in two private firms of Siliguri on Tuesday in association with Bhaktinagar police and seized dubious plywood products.
Sources said that preliminary probe revealed that the firms were storing plywood intended for concrete shuttering, but those were either not ISI-marked or bore fake ISI marks without a valid licence number.
Altogether, around 300 pieces of plywood products were seized during the raid.
The officials said that such activities violate the Plywood and Wooden Flush Door Shutters (Quality Control) Order, 2024, dated March 15, 2024, which mandates compulsory BIS certification for specified products.
“Necessary action has been initiated against the firms under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, for contravention of the quality control order,” said a source.
The BIS authorities have said that all retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and importers must strictly comply with the quality control order and refrain from manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, leasing, storing, or displaying products that require mandatory certification without valid BIS approval.
“Consumers should also be vigilant and ensure that products bear a genuine ISI mark along with a valid seven-digit or 10-digit licence number. The number printed below the ISI mark can be verified through the BIS Care app,” the source added.
Timber seized
Foresters of the Sukna range under the Darjeeling wildlife division acted on a tip-off and seized an illegal consignment of teak worth ₹6 lakh from Salbari on the outskirts of Siliguri on Wednesday. Two persons were detained in this connection.
Sources said a team led by Deepak Rasaily, the range officer, raided the houses of Manik Biswas and Bhajan Roy at Salbari. During the raid, they recovered the timber and furniture stored illegally at their houses. Biswas and Roy were subsequently detained. "Our officers are questioning the detained duo,” said a senior forester.