Untrained workers responsible for cracker accidents: KKSSR Ramachandran

CHENNAI: State revenue minister KKSSR Ramachandran on Tuesday said that accidents at cracker units and shops were happening due to the involvement of untrained workers not familiar with handling and manufacturing crackers.

Replying to a special call attention motion moved by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami among others in the State Assembly, Ramachandran said that though most of the cracker production happens only in Virudhunagar district, licences have been availed in all 38 districts to manufacture crackers in the state.

Pointing out that there were 1,482 cracker manufacturing units in the state and out of them 1,085 were in Virudhunagar district, the revenue minister said that experienced people were not engaged in production in Ariyalur and handling in Hosur in Krishnagiri. Some six to seven persons had come from Virudhunagar and trained the other workers in Ariylaur, the minister informed the House, adding that the employees did not handle the crackers properly there, resulting in accidents.

Noting that as many as seven lakh workers were engaged in the cracker sector in the state and the government could raid and shut down the facilities in a day easily, Ramachandran said that the government was keen on protecting the workers by creating all safety mechanisms at the facilities. Adding that a committee headed by the Chief Secretary at the state level and one's headed by district collectors were available in all districts, the minister said that the district committees have been instructed to inspect the units four days a month.

Increase compensation to Rs 10 lakhs: EPS

Earlier, speaking on the motion, LoP Palaniswami referred to the Hosur and Ariyalur accidents and said that the government must increase the compensation paid to the victims from Rs 3 lakh to Rs I0 lakhs. Joining the issue, Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai said that no one should play blame game on the issue and similar accidents have also happened in the past regimes.

Former chief minister O Panneerselvam, speaking on the motion, asked the government to take adequate precautions to prevent recurring accidents. Intervening during the debate, Leader of the House Duraimurugan said that if they (AIADMK) had implemented the suggestions in their regime, such a plight would have arisen. PMK MLA R Arul also asked the government to hike the compensation to Rs I0 lakh per deceased person. CPIM MLA Nagai Maali and MMK's Jawahirullah also spoke on the motion.