At Kurali, 4 licences, 150 cracker sellers!

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 17

Not caring two hoots about the rules and orders, around 150 cracker sellers are doing brisk business at Kurali even though the administration has issued just four licences in this regard.

During a random survey of the area, a team of The Tribune found a number of cracker stalls along the Kurali-Chandigarh road and the Kurali-Morinda road. Besides, a number of cracker stalls have also come up in inner areas and markets.

The illegal business is being carried out openly with the police and the administration remaining mute spectators.

The cracker sellers, who are operating without a licence, seem least bothered about any action by the administration or the police.

“This is not a new phenomenon here. All cracker sellers, except four or five, have never got a licence to do business. You may term it illegal business, but the Kurali wholesale cracker market caters to hundreds of small-time cracker sellers and clients from far-off areas every year,” said a wholesale dealer of crackers running his business without a licence.

Another shopkeeper, who has put up his cracker stall along the main highway in the town, said, “It’s easy to understand why the police and administration officials are not taking any action. It’s Diwali time!”

He said the Kurali "sees a cracker business of nearly Rs 8 crore every year. Even small-time cracker sellers invest at least Rs 5 lakh in the business every year. We have to run the business at any cost or be ready to suffer huge losses,” he said.

Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said she had directed the SDM and the Tehsildar concerned to conduct raids on illegal cracker sellers.

 Officials' role under a cloud

Following the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the Mohali administration has issued just 40 licences in the entire district. However, the presence of a large number of cracker sellers at Kurali has raised a question mark over the working of the administration and the police. According to sources, the illegal sale of crackers is also on with impunity in other areas, including Kharar, Nayagaon, Khizrabad, Zirakpur, Lalru and Dera Bassi.

Cracker of a move?

Following the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the Mohali administration has issued just 40 licences in the entire district. However, the presence of a large number of cracker sellers at Kurali has raised a question mark over the working of the administration and the police. According to sources, the illegal sale of crackers is also on with impunity in other areas, including Kharar, Nayagaon, Khizrabad, Zirakpur, Lalru and Dera Bassi.