CHENNAI: A war of words erupted in the Assembly on Thursday as DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu and Minister S Keerthana locked horns over the plight of firecracker workers in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district. Both Thennarasu and Keerthana are legislators representing constituencies in Virudhunagar district.
Thennarasu told the House that sudden inspections at firecracker units had disrupted production and caused distress among workers. Responding to it, Minister Keerthana said all inspections concluded by July 13 and they were carried out after five fire accidents in cracker units.
Stating that 177 non-compliant firecracker units were detected, she said many units have since corrected their issues and been permitted to resume operations. She added that the Opposition was “torturing” the government with continued pressure even after the matter had been resolved, creating confusion among the public through protests.
Thennarasu hit back, calling the minister’s claim an “illusion”. He said the firecracker industry has been severely hit, with Deepavali approaching and monsoon rains expected soon, compounding the impact on workers and firecracker industry owners.
A separate exchange in the Assembly saw legislators A Arunmozhi Devan (AIADMK) and Soumya Anbumani (PMK) accuse the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) of misleading farmers with claims of employment, alleging that land affected by clay-mine subsidence remained unrestored and that heirs of land-donors had not been given jobs. While Keerthana claimed that the issue had been resolved, they reiterated that the response was far from the ground reality and sought action. Keerthana said a committee had been formed to address the farmers’ grievances.