HC: Consider pleas for cracker licence renewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 22

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has permitted the states of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory to consider applications for renewal or grant of permanent licence for selling firecrackers “strictly in accordance with law”.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and first puisne Justice Rajiv Sharma also clarified that the authorities would not prohibit or prevent the duly authorised licence holders from selling firecrackers.

“The authorities are also directed to undertake the process of considering and allotting temporary licence in terms of the previous orders passed by this court,” the Bench added.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Punjab Additional Advocate-General submitted that the authorities were not able to process the applications for renewal or grant of permanent licences to persons selling firecrackers due to “certain misinterpretation” in the orders passed by the court on October 13, 2017, and October 17, 2018.

It was submitted that the order regarding issuance of temporary licences up to 20 per cent of the total number of temporary licences issued in the “previous year” may be clarified to specify that the term “previous year” would mean “2016” and not subsequent years.

Protest on highways

An FIR was registered on December 8, 2017 against Sukhbir Badal, Bikram Majithia among others for causing inconvenience to people by blocking highways across the state. The petitioners say no action has been taken as the accused are influential leaders.