Fearing heavy losses, dealers to move High Court

Ban on crackers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 7

Fearing heavy losses, the Chandigarh Cracker Dealers’ Association has decided to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision of the UT Administration to impose a ban on the sale or use of firecrackers in the city.

Chirag Aggarwal, general secretary of the association, said they would suffer losses to the tune of Rs 5 crore if the ban was not lifted.

If the Administration was to impose the ban on firecrackers, then the decision should have been taken in advance, he said, adding that they would file a petition in the High Court against the ban on Monday.

Meanwhile, Prem Garg, president, AAP, demanded that full refund should be given to 1,635 cracker dealers of the city.

"Applications were invited for issuing licences for sale of crackers. As many as 1,635 applications were received by the administration. Each applicant was made to pay Rs 100 as the cost of application form and Rs 500 as fee. Of these 1,635 applicants, 96 were selected by lot. Now, as the administration has belatedly revoked its plan to allow the sale of crackers, why the amount deposited by these poor vendors be not refunded in full?" asked Garg.

Secondly, it’s stated by the dealers that they have already invested heavily in purchase of cracker stocks on the promise of getting 96 licences and as the process of draw of lots is over, the law of Estoppel applies on the administration. The vendors have already acted on the assurance of the administration, he added.

Endorsing the decision of the Administration to ban the use and sale of crackers in view of a surge in Covid cases in the city, Arvind Jain, president of Vyapar Sadan, Chandigarh, said the decision was late by 15 days. It would definitely cause losses to traders dealing in crackers. “To help traders who are already facing business crisis since March 20, the Administration should purchase all crackers from those who have made purchases,” he added.