Chennai, July 5(BPNS)

The Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks traders association petitions the state industries minister Thangam Thenarasu to simplify the procedure for granting license to both temporary and permanent cracker shops. Other than speeding up the renewal of licenses, the traders demanded a stringent ban on online sale of firecrackers.

The association in the petition to the minister on Monday said that the explosive rules provide scope for granting license for a period of five years to both temporary and permanent firecrackers shops. The president of the association, 

V. Rajachandrasekharan in the petition said, “ The officers however does not grant us a license for five years but instead give for one year, two years or three years according to their whims and fancies and made us walk from pillar to post”.

The association also mentioned that the officials do not grant the renewal of licenses to the firecrackers shops and this leads to the traders wait for an eternity to get the renewal.  The leaders also said that this makes extra workload to the officials also but this practice has been continuing for the past several years.

It is to be noted that the licenses have to be renewed during the Diwali season and even after the applications for renewal are filed in February or March, the officials sits on these applications and used to take this up just a month before the Diwali festival during which firecrackers are used in large volumes.

 Renewal of license up to 500 kg for permanent shops are given by the Commissioner of Police in urban centres while in rural areas this is granted by the district collectors.

Rajachandrasekharan said, “Shops that sell 1500 kg of fireworks receive the license from the Petroleum and  Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The PESO generally gives licenses up to five years.”

The traders association in the petition also charged that in rural areas, generally, the license is granted after cumbersome procedures and generally, the officials do not take up the applications at the earliest.

He said, “ The traders are forced to keep the fireworks in unlicensed places following the pending application for renewal of licenses  and traders are in a dilemma as to whether they go ahead with their procurement of fireworks as the license is given only at the last minute creating major problems to us.”

The association also said that for temporary shops licenses could be given one month ahead of Diwali but the officials generally call for applications fifteen days before the festival and the business can happen only for a maximum of five to seven days.