After 25 days of indefinite closure, the fireworks industry announced on Friday night that it was withdrawing the protest. Employees would resume work on Monday.
The announcement was made on the basis of the assurance given by Minister for Dairy Development K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji that the State government would stand by the fireworks industry.
Mr. Bhalaji held talks with representatives of the industry for over two hours after the industry’s representatives met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in Chennai on Friday.
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The Chief Minister had promised to take up the “air pollution issue” with the Centre and secure exemption for the fireworks industry from the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986. He recently wrote to the Prime Minister in this regard.
The State government had backed the industry’s demand for a cut in the GST rate from 28% to 18%, Mr. Bhalaji said. The government would continue to support the industry on the present crisis also, he assured. “I explained to the manufacturers that eight lakh workers and their families were suffering due to the indefinite closure,” Mr. Bhalaji said. Over 840 cracker units in and around Sivakasi began an indefinite closure on December 26 seeking early disposal of a public interest litigation filed before the Supreme Court, seeking a nation-wide ban on the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers, alleging air pollution.
The secretary of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association, K. Mariappan, said the decision to resume work was taken in the interest of the eight lakh workers and their families. Besides, the Chief Minister had assured that the ruling party MPs would raise the issue in Parliament, he said.
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