Nearly five lakh people working in 783 firecracker factories in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu and their families can have a happy Diwali this year after the Union Government declared storage and sale of Chinese fireworks illegal.
The Chinese firecrackers, which were being smuggled into the country, had almost destroyed the Rs2,500-crore fireworks industry in Sivakasi.
“I have asked all Chief Ministers to take strict action against shopkeepers storing and selling Chinese firecrackers. I have also told them that nobody has been granted the licence or permission to import firecrackers from China. Even the common man can alert the police if he comes across shops selling such firecrackers,” Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation at Chennai on Tuesday.
Since 90 per cent of the domestic firecrackers are manufactured at Sivakasi, the Chinese dragon was swallowing the Indian industry. Previous attempts by the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufactures’ Association to get some kind of relief from the UPA Government did not make any headway.
“Then Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma asked the Customs Department to scrutinise the containers coming through the ports at Thoothukudi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kochi. But none of these ports had the equipment to find out whether the consignments had explosive materials in them,” said K Mariappan, president, TANFAMA.
Because of the cheap Chinese firecrackers being smuggled into the country, Sivakasi, the fireworks hub of the country was almost on its death bed. “We met Nirmalal Sitharaman last month and convinced her about the problems,” said Aasaithampi, general secretary, TANFAMA.
The TANFAMA leaders said the office of the controller of explosives has become a cesspool of corruption. “The headquarters of the controller of explosives is at Nagpur. The entire firecrackers sold in Nagpur and surrounding areas are Chinese products since the authorities responsible to check the smuggling of Chinese goods look the other way,” said Mariappan.
Chinese companies use chemicals like chlorates and perchlorates which are hazardous and detrimental for the environment. In 2013, 500 containers of firecrackers were imported into India. The officials charge Rs5 lakh as bribe for clearing each containers,” said Mariappan.
The TANFAMA office-bearers said more than 80 lakh workers all over the country are dependent on the firecrackers manufactured in Sivakasi. “Thanks to the NDA Government and Nirmala Seetharaman, all of us will have a happy Diwali this years,” said Mariappan.