DMK to take up firecracker industry issue with Centre

DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Tuesday said the party's Rajya Sabha members will raise the issue of "uncertainty" being faced by the firecracker industry.

Raising his voice in support of the industry, Stalin urged the central government to save the sector.

In a tweet Stalin said: "Centre should step in to save the firecracker manufacturing cluster in Sivakasi, which accounts for 90 per cent of Indian firecracker production and protect the industry employing lakhs of workers."

"DMK MPs in the Rajya Sabha will raise the issue with the concerned Minister. #CrackerBan," he added.

The firecracker industry in Sivakasi has shut down its operations for the past one week till a legal solution for its future was secured.

"The firecracker industry prays for early hearing of the case by the Supreme Court and the judgement given either way to do away with the uncertain situation," K. Mariappan, Vice President, All India Federation of Fireworks Associations (Aiffa) had earlier told IANS.

The Aiffa is an umbrella grouping of various industry/trade bodies representing firecracker manufacturers, dealers of firecrackers, transporters, distributors, ancillary industries and others.

Couple of days back, PMK Founder S.Ramadoss said bursting firecrackers is part of Indian culture and it cannot be banned.

Coming out in support of the firecracker industry that provides direct and indirect employment to around 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu, Ramadoss in a statement said "banning Made-in-India firecrackers would result in illegal sale of Chinese products".

Addressing the smog problem, some north Indian states were facing, Ramadoss said the smog there was due to burning of straw stubble in states like Punjab and Haryana, adding, that banning its burning would end the problem.

Ramadoss said if bursting firecrackers resulted in the smog then southern states should also be suffering from the same.

--IANS

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