Govt should take steps to safeguard local cracker makers: Cong

Claiming that influx of illegal Chinese crackers had affected the domestic industry based in Sivakasi, TNCC President E V K S Elangovan today urged the Centre to take steps to safeguard local manufacturers.
He said illegal import of Chinese crackers was around 285 metric tonnes in September 2015 while it was 104 metric tonnes in 2014-15 and demanded that Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explain the reason behind the increase.
Recalling that she had stated last year that government would not allow Chinese firecrackers, he sought to know what steps had been taken to stop their illegal import.
The firecracker trade in Sivakasi had reduced from around Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 3,000 crore in three years, he said, adding that those involved in the trade in the town faced bleak prospects.

"If the BJP government fails to safeguard the Sivakasi firecracker industry, there will soon be a situation where it has to learn the lessons for doing so," he said in a statement.