Zonal dy commissioner’s nod must for cracker sale

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Diwali, the BMC has assigned zonal deputy commissioners as single point of contact to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) to shops selling firecrackers.
The BMC has three zones (north, south-west and south-east). Persons who want to set up firecracker shops at designated sites of the city need to submit applications for NOCs before the respective zonal deputy commissioners. Previously, the persons or organisations or shops were applying for NOCs before the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Bhubaneswar.
In 2020, the state government had decided that temporary permission should be accorded in favour of different individuals/organisations/cultural associations/groups for conducting opera shows, religious functions, cultural programmes and those selling firecrackers.
The government has identified 32 patches of vacant government land for opera shows, cultural programmes and religious functions. It has identified 21 patches of land for selling firecrackers during Diwali.
Official sources said no permanent structure shall be erected on the government land and it should not be used for any purpose other than the one for which it is identified.
In case any patch of the identified vacant land is required for development purpose or any other public use, the same will be excluded from the land schedule by the general administration department, said the official order. The BMC will make provisions for toilets, parking and drinking water at all locations of the identified land for the convenience of the people.