BENGALURU: The state government’s restrictions on the purchase and sale of crackers appear to have had an effect in the city’s outskirts and narrow lanes, where crackers are sold at high rates in retail outlets.
Finding locations where crackers are sold is difficult, as there are very few permitted outlets in the city, and finding a retail outlet is even more difficult. Locals are sharing location of the sales only through word of mouth. This is one of the reasons why fewer crackers were burst this season. The other is the high price and the black market.
“Usually, I would get a small box of crackers comprising sparklers, flowerpots and chakri for around Rs 500, but this time a small box of the same items cost me Rs 1,500. Shops that sell cosmetics are selling crackers and deepas (lamps). They are charging the amount printed on the box, and to please customers, are selling them at a discount of Rs 100-200, which is of little significance when I paid Rs 1,500,” said Bhavya K, a resident.
Those seeking to buy crackers from designated certified traders and wholesalers were seen standing in long queues for hours. “I searched for crackers all evening but was unable to find them at the usual locations, like open grounds and designated stalls. I asked people around and was directed to a trader, and I was amazed at the crowd. A man standing in the queue told me he had been standing since 4pm,” said Jeevan L, a resident.
Police officials on the ground said that they could do little about the retailers selling them. An official on duty at Group-D Layout said: “Since the wholesale trader has a long queue, people are forced to buy from retail outlets. We know they are illegal, but the retailer has also stood in the wholesaler’s queue and made purchases to make sales. We cannot do anything as it is festival time.”
This is why despite the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal and state government orders, a large number of people was selling crackers on the city outskirts and in narrow residential by-lanes, even after the stipulated timings, the official added.
A wholesale dealer from Avenue Road said every year he would make sales and people would queue up for long hours to make purchases. But this time he was not given permission but he had the stock. So many people purchased crackers from him and even sold them from their houses. The information of sales spread only through word of mouth, said the dealer not wanting to be named.