DMK Government Accused of Paralyzing Firecracker Sales

Chennai: BJP State president K Annamalai accused the DMK of trying to paralyse the sale of firecrackers in the State by making traders run from pillar to post for obtaining license with just one week left for the Deepavali festival.

In a statement on Saturday, Annamalai said the manner in which the government was delaying the issuing of licenses  for 7000 small traders who had applied for it gave rise to the suspicion that some DMK persons were trying to monopolize the trade and reap huge profits.

Though the traders had abided by the government norms in applying for the license online by paying Rs 600, they had not been issued the license without which they were unable to procure firecrackers from the manufacturers, he said.

As a result firecrackers worth several thousands of crores could not be lifted from the godowns of the manufacturers in Sivakasi alone, he alleged.

Also, he said, the government had changed the rules for licenses that earlier entailed the getting of permission only from the police, fire service and local body authorities by including the thalisdar and another private individual in the list of those whose no objection was essential.