Chennai, Sept 2:
The Tamil Nadu government is developing a dedicated mobile application to speed up the licensing process for fireworks manufacturing units, Industries Minister S. Keerthana informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
Replying during the debate on demands for grants for the Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi and MSME departments, Keerthana said entrepreneurs currently have to obtain clearances from several departments, resulting in delays in issuing licences.
She said the delay could extend up to three years for new licences, while renewal of licences could take as long as a year. According to the Minister, such delays were contributing to the emergence of illegal fireworks manufacturing units.
“The work on a separate app for obtaining licences is at an advanced stage,” she said, adding that the government was taking several measures to streamline the process.
The government is also planning safety measures at fireworks factories, including the introduction of modern machinery to reduce workers’ direct exposure to hazardous chemicals.
AIADMK MLA O.S. Manian said delays in licensing were affecting fireworks retail shops as well and urged the government to simplify the procedure.
DMK MLA K.K.S.R. Ramachandran, however, cautioned that efforts to speed up approvals should not compromise safety norms relating to the distance between fireworks units and residential areas and between individual factories.
He stressed that online scrutiny alone could not identify all safety issues and called for physical inspections.
The Minister said 177 fireworks factories had been issued licences without a fee, while Labour Welfare Minister J. Mohamed Farvas said inter-departmental inspections had contributed to delays and assured the House that the process would be expedited.