NAGPUR NEWS TODAY : The fire and emergency services department of Nagpur has laid down strict guidelines for shops that would be selling fire crackers during the Diwali festival. The measures include affidavits from shopkeepers that they would be responsible for any untoward incident, attaching property tax receipt of current fiscal year while seeking permission to carry out business in a particular premises.
This action is taken following the devastating blast in Sivakasi Crackers Unit which killed 56 person on sep-5
Irked by these, a delegation of Nagpur Zilla Fataka Sangh (firecrackers’ association) on Monday met the standing committee chairman Dayashankar Tiwari with a demand to relax some of the conditions laid down by the department. The association’s president Anil Ahirkar and secretary Krishnakant Gupta pointed out that the fire department charges Rs 1,000 to issue NOC which is not charged anywhere else in Maharashtra. The association welcomed the civic body’s decision to reduce the NOC charges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 1,000.
Gold Rate
Friday 17 Jan. 2025
The association also termed fire department’s demand for property tax receipt wrong. “Many of our dealers are taking shop on rent for 15 to 20 days for business. If the landlord has not paid the house tax to NMC, why should dealer be penalized,” they asked.
They also opposed the condition not just to keep fire extinguishers on the premises but also to attach the receipt showing its purchase. “When we are giving affidavit saying we would be responsible for mishap, what is the purpose of asking for the bill. In fact, the cost of extinguisher (Rs 4000) is not affordable to many vendors who have been keeping water and sand buckets for safety since many years,” they said.
Chief fire officer Rajendra Uchake who was also present at the meeting said rules were framed looking into safety which could not be compromised. He, however, assured to give relaxation until shops were actually set up but insisted all safety measures should be in place during inspections of the shops.
