FRDC is not meeting its primary objectives: CAG

The Comptroller and Auditor General today said Fire Works Research and Development Centre (FRDC) has not been able to achieve its primary objectives for which it was set up.
The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), considering the Supreme Court directions on development of environment friendly firecrackers to reduce pollution level and hazard, conceived a project on establishment of FRDC at Sivakasi, the hub of fire works manufacturing activities, the CAG report said.
The objective of the centre was to address the requirement of fire works industry including development of environment friendly firecrackers, mechanisation of hazardous manufacturing processes, development and standardisation of products, safety of personnel involved, study of nature of chemical composition, quality control and testing of raw material, it said.

In its report, which was tabled in Parliament today, CAG said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in May 2013 that the FRDC Complex was being used to conduct seminars, training, testing, examinations and enquiries.
"The reply was not acceptable as the steps taken by the Ministry to utilise the FRDC complex do not address the primary objectives for which Rs 6.49 crore was spent," it added.
It said FRDC was functioning with three technical staff drafted from PESO, who were not equipped with the expertise to conduct research work as directed by the Supreme Court.
"Accidents in Sivakasi continue to happen and reported in media during 2009 to 2012," CAG said.

"FRDC was inaugurated in July 2011. However, the proposals for creation of workforce for the unit had not been cleared so far (December 2012) for reasons not on record," it said.