Bengal govt plans green firework units at illegal cracker hubs

KOLKATA: Bengal will set up green firework clusters on land vested with the government in zones that have been identified as hubs of illegal firework-manufacturing.
The state cabinet chaired by CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday set up a committee headed by chief secretary H K Dwivedi and comprising home, fire, urban development, panchayat, environment and micro, small and medium enterprises department secretaries. It will have to suggest in two months how to convert illegal firecracker-making units to legal green cracker units while also ensuring that people who own and work here do not face sudden unemployment.
A blast at an illegal firecracker unit in East Midnapore's Egra on May 16 killed 11 people; another in Budge Budge on Sunday killed three. Officials said an angry CM asked district administrations and the police to be much more vigilant and conduct regular raids and wanted the government to promote green fireworks clusters.
Firecracker industry in state worth Rs 3000cr
At a cabinet meeting on Monday, CM Mamata Banerjee wanted the government to promote green fireworks clusters that would put a premium on safe practices, state urban development minister Firhad Hakim said.
All illegal units will be sealed and the state MSME department will hand-hold them to set up base in these clusters once they are set up. The firecracker industry is worth more than Rs 3,000 crore in Bengal and the main hubs are in South and North 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, Malda, Murshidabad and some north Bengal districts. "The decision taken today will help bring the entire industry under a legal umbrella while ensuring that livelihoods are not lost," a senior government official said, explaining the rationale behind Monday's decision.