MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has posed certain queries to the State government on the steps taken to ensure the safety and welfare of workers manufacturing firecrackers in Tamil Nadu.
A Bench of justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi observed that lakhs of people in and around Virudhunagar and Madurai districts directly or indirectly depend on cracker manufacturing for their livelihood.
Pointing out that many states in India are already passing orders to ban crackers and some are mulling the option, the judges wanted to know whether the Tamil Nadu government has come up with an alternative if cracker industry in Tamil Nadu also suffer the same fate, so that the lakhs of people working in cracker units in Tamil Nadu are not left in lurch.
The judges also sought district-wise and year-wise details of number of workers in cracker units, how many workers died or injured in past ten years, quantum of compensation paid to their family, among others.
They also wanted to know the mechanism followed by the government to monitor cracker industries and the action taken in case of violations. The matter was adjourned to December 4.
The directions were issued on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one J Vasudevan of Madurai who alleged that cracker manufacturing units do not adhere to safety rules.