LUDHIANA: Complying with the directions of the
Punjab and Haryana high court of clean and green
Diwali by allowing a
limited sale of crackers, the district administration held a draw and issued 41
temporary licences to people for selling firecrackers in different areas of the district, on Tuesday.
Deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said as many as 41 vendors have been allowed to sell crackers at eight earmarked sites in the district. He said the administration had received a total of 389 applications from people interested in selling crackers. Divulging the details, the deputy commissioner said a total of 75 applications were received for Dana Mandi Salem Tabri and only 13 licences have been allocated. A total of 93 applications were received for Glada ground in Sector 39 and nine vendors have been issued licences.
He said similarly, 53 applicants had applied to set up
firecracker vends at Model Town and only five licences have been issued, while 69 applications were received for Glada ground in Dugri and four vends were issued licences. He said three persons had applied for Lodhi Club and all the three have been issued licenses.
A total of 31 applications were received from Hambran and 43 from Khanna and only three licences each have been issued for both the places. In Jagraon, only one licence has been issued against 22 applications.
Meanwhile, winners of the draw have been given two-day time i.e. Wednesday and Thursday to set up their stalls at the designated places. After setting up of stalls, businessmen can sell crackers from November 6 till November 14.
Ashok Thapar, chairman of
the Ludhiana wholesale fireworks association, said, “A total of 41 licences for sale of crackers have been issued today by the district administration through a draw. The meeting was presided over by deputy commissioner. This time things are tough for us as on one hand we have got only nine days for selling crackers, while on the other, due to
coronavirus enthusiasm among the residents is not the same.”