Karnataka CM suspends 3 officials following fire in cracker unit

The CM also said notices have been issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district who issued the licence to the cracker shop owner as well as the Superintendent of Police, apparently seeking explanation about the incident

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ordered the suspension of Anekal Tahsildar, a jurisdictional police inspector and the regional fire officer in the wake of the blaze at a cracker godown-cum-shop in the border town of Attibele in Bengaluru Urban district that claimed 14 lives.

The CM also said notices have been issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district who issued the licence to the cracker shop owner as well as the Superintendent of Police, apparently seeking explanation about the incident that also left three people critically injured.

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He said the shopkeeper had the license to sell crackers and not for godown. The shopkeeper had stored 7,000 to 8,000 kg of crackers there, which he had brought from Tamil Nadu.

The day incident took place, a truckload of crackers had come and it was being unloaded by people from Tamil Nadu, majority of whom were the poor students, who were paid Rs 600 per day, the Chief Minister said.

“There were lapses on the part of the Tahsildar, (Police) Inspector and the Fire Officer. I have given instructions to suspend all the three. The DC who issued licence, and the SP concerned should be served notices,” he said.

Citing Supreme Court guidelines on the use of green crackers, Siddaramaiah said, “Action should be taken against those who are not following them.” The chief minister has also given direction to all the officers concerned to ensure that the provisions of the Explosives Act and the SC guidelines on use of green crackers are not violated.

These directions were essential because there is Deepavali festival in the offing where people burn their hands, injure body parts, lose their eyesight and in some cases deaths too occur.

Henceforth, cracker licence will be renewed on an annual basis and not for a duration of five years, he noted.
In view of the incident, the Chief Minister said he has directed the officials to ban crackers during political events, procession, marriages and Ganesha festivals.

Already the state government has announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and free treatment to the four injured people in the hospital.

The crackers were stocked in the godown-cum-shop at Attibele in view of the upcoming Dasara and Deepavali festivals.