Interim stay on online sale of firecrackers

Dussara Holiday Vacation Court Justice S Vaidyananthan before whom the public interest litigation, moved by M Shaik Abdullah, seeking to prohibit retail sale of firecrackers online came up for hearing issued notice to the Deputy Chief Comptroller of Explosives, Chennai Police Commissioner and Chennai Corporation Commissioner. 

The case has been posted for further hearing on November 15. The petitioner, a resident of Chennai, had contended that he has been into the business of selling of firecrackers for the past 15 years after obtaining necessary licence and is part of the Chennai Metro Fireworks Dealers Association. But the sale of crackers online by the old flower bazaar traders unlawfully through numerous websites has been increasing rapidly in violation of explosive rules.

While there is a restriction for sellers like him to sell only indigenous firecrackers, such restrictions were not imposed on online sales and that the comptroller of explosives had failed to issue a prohibitory order against this. 

He further pointed out that the inaction of the authorities had led to the sale of banned Chinese firecrackers online at the cost of numerous cottage industries involved in the manufacture of fire crackers.

With Diwali is to be celebrated on November 6, and the stay on the online sale set to continue until November 15, the online sale of firecrackers this festive season seems most unlikely.