Firecracker traders rush to police commissioner’s office to obtain licences

BENGALURU: With Deepavali a week away and the police permitting sale of firecrackers for only five days, firecracker traders in Bengaluru are making a beeline at the counters at the police commissioner’s office to obtain permits.

To manage the crowd, four counters have been set up to receive applications. Although online applications were being accepted starting from the October 8, traders are still required to visit the office for document verification.

Police have announced that licences will be issued through a lottery system and traders will only be allowed to sell firecrackers for five days. This move comes after recent incidents in Attibele and Chamarajpet, prompting the police to take strict action against illegal storage of firecrackers.

The police department has made it mandatory for all shops to install CCTV cameras and will conduct inspections under the supervision of local inspectors. Only licenced traders will be allowed to sell firecrackers in designated shops, and they won’t be permitted to lend or sell their licences to others.

Traders will not be allowed to stock firecrackers illegally in any godown and cases will be booked in such instances against the licence holders and the firecrackers will be seized. The police inspectors will also conduct spot inspection to check for installation of CCTV cameras.