Centre Revises Implementation Dates for Quality Control Orders on Cement Bags and Mail Sacks
New Delhi, October 26, 2026: The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has notified amendments to three quality control orders governing woven sacks used for cement packaging and mail handling, revising their implementation dates to provide additional time before the requirements come into force.
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals issued the amendments on October 6, 2026, through three separate notifications published in the Official Gazette.
Under the revised timelines, the quality control order for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) woven sacks used for packaging 50 kg cement will come into force on January 6, 2027, while the order covering PP woven, laminated, block-bottom valve sacks for packaging 50 kg cement will take effect on November 6, 2026.
The third amendment, concerning PP/HDPE laminated woven sacks used for mail sorting, storage, transport and distribution, also sets January 6, 2027, as its implementation date.
Revised timelines for three quality control orders
The amendments modify the commencement provisions of the respective Quality Control Orders issued in 2023. The changes are as follows:
- HDPE/PP woven sacks for 50 kg cement packaging: The implementation date has been set for January 6, 2027, under notification S.O. 5478(E).
- PP woven, laminated, block-bottom valve sacks for 50 kg cement packaging: The order will come into force on November 6, 2026, under notification S.O. 5479(E).
- PP/HDPE laminated woven sacks for mail operations: The implementation date has been set for January 6, 2027, under notification S.O. 5480(E).
Amendments issued under BIS Act
The Central Government issued all three orders under Section 16, read with Section 17 and sub-section (3) of Section 25 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. The government stated that the amendments were made in the public interest after consultation with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Each notification is titled the respective product’s Quality Control Second Amendment Order, 2026. The amendments replace the earlier commencement provisions in paragraph 1 of the original 2023 orders.
Background
The original quality control orders were published in December 2023 and have undergone several amendments since then, including notifications issued in June and September 2024, December 2024, June and September 2025, and January 2026.
The latest notifications, signed by Dr G. Venkatesh, Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, update the implementation schedules for the three categories of woven sacks.
The revised dates mean that the PP woven, laminated, block-bottom valve sacks used for cement packaging are scheduled to come under the order two months earlier than the other two categories, which are set to take effect in January 2027.
The amendments relate specifically to the commencement dates of the quality control orders; the notifications do not specify any other changes to their substantive provisions.
