Chennai, Feb 27 (BPNS)

AIADMK chief coordinator and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam has called upon the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to initiate steps to prevent blasts in firecracker units in the state. In a statement on Saturday, the former Chief Minister said that 12 people were killed in firecracker unit explosions since January 2022.

He said that those working in the firecracker industry have informed that noncompliance with safety norms is the reason for the blasts and deaths in firecracker units in the state.

The former Chief Minister in the statement said that the district collector and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health must be directed to monitor whether the fireworks unit complies with the safety norms.

He also called upon the management of these firecracker units to strictly adhere to the safety norms prescribed by the government.

The AIADMK leader said that the government must take steps to monitor firecracker units across the state periodically and ensure that all the concerned departments are conducting proper inspections in these units. He said that Sivakasi and Virudhunagar district is producing the maximum number of firecrackers in the country and said that proper safety measures are required in such an industry and called upon the state government to conduct proper inspections and to take strict action against those who are not complying with the state government norms.

He also called upon the Chief Minister to increase the amount given as solatium to the victims of firecracker blasts. It may be noted that the Chief Minister had announced a solatium of   Rs 3 lakhs to the families of the 4 people who died in fire unit explosion recently.