Tribune News ServiceLudhiana, September 22
In the view of a large number of fire incidents in congested and old areas of the city in the recent past, the district administration has decided to allot 14 sites in open areas for the sale of crackers to wholesale cracker dealers around Divali. No person would be allowed to sell the crackers in the congested parts of the city, other than the prescribed sites.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior officers of the police, the municipal corporation, the fire brigade, the town planning, PUDA, the Improvement Trust and SDMs under the chairmanship of Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner.
The DC informed that the more sites had been earmarked to check the monopoly of a few dealers and keep the prices affordable for the common man, besides ensuring maximum safety. He said that the district Town Planner had been asked to prepare site plan for each stall, as per provisions of law, to ensure complete safety from fire.
The selected sites include Pakhowal road, near Sidhwan canal, Punjab Mata Nagar School ground, Model Town extension, along 120 ft. wide road, Urban Estate, Phase-I Dugri Road, near Kandhari store, Focal Point, opposite fire station, Chandigarh road, Sector 39-A, opposite Vardhman Mills, Tajpur road, near Fodder market, Bypass Grain market, Rajpura road, Haibowal, near fire station, BRS Nagar, near CFC School, Field Ganj, opposite Kuka Memorial, Simlapuri, near Quality chowk and Government Polytechnic for Women, Rishi Nagar.
Mr Verma said there would be sufficient distance between two shops at all sites to ensure safety and fire tenders would be provided by the municipal corporation at these places to prevent any kind of the fire accident.
He said the sites had been selected on outer side of the city and to facilitate the people to purchase the crackers from the nearest possible places. The Deputy Commissioner also asked the dealers to store the main stock in godowns outside the city in open areas to avoid any kind of untoward incident.
Giving details, the DC informed that before seeking the licence at the fixed sites, the dealers would have to execute an agreement with the owners of land. The licences would be issued by the administration only after all conditions are fulfilled as per the Fire Safety Act by the dealers. He directed officers concerned to ensure proper fitting of electrical wires near the stalls to minimise the chances of any accident.
Today Mr Verma also visited the Grain market, one of the selected sites, for an on-the-spot review and gave directions to officers to adopt proper safety measures. He said no oil, paints, matches, acids or similar substances should be brought or kept on the licenced premises.
