Amritsar: Crackers set to burn a hole in your pocket
Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 29
Residents have to pay 20 per cent more for purchasing firecrackers this Diwali as compared to the last year.
Traders selling firecrackers attribute the price rise to escalation in fuel prices, which has lead to massive increase in transportation cost.
Around 90 per cent firecrackers come from Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi and the transportation cost of a truck stands at Rs 1.30 lakh, which used to be Rs one lakh, a year ago.
Similarly, the cost of all kinds of raw material, including chemicals, wire, cardboard and printing, has also gone up.
In addition, rumours are rife that temporary stalls have been allotted for Rs two lakh.
Harish Dhawan, a trader, said the administration recently allotted 10 retail stalls ahead of Diwali. He pointed out that an open draw of lots was held in which people from varied fields had taken part. He said only the government approved cracker stockists and traders should have been allowed to take part in the draw of lots.
Dhawan said only approved stockists know about all kinds of precautions need to be taken while selling fissile material at public places.
A stockist gets a licence after obtaining no-objection certificate (NOCs) from 11 departments, including, Firebrigade, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), SDM, Police, District Town Planner, Department of Industries and Commerce, District Revenue Officer, DDPO, Agriculture Department and Forest Office. The final NOC is issued by the Deputy Commissioner.
Office of the Commissioner of Police gives licence for stocking crackers up to 500 kg and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation issues licence for stocking crackers up to 1,500 kg.
