Increased Urgency for Bengal Police to Address Over 5,000 Illegal Firecracker Factories

Key Takeaways

Investigations reveal over 5,000 illegal firecracker factories in West Bengal.
Police face criticism for failing to monitor these operations effectively.
Owner of Patharpratima factory resumed operations post-arrest.
Explosion at the factory killed eight individuals.
Local residents accuse police of negligence.

Kolkata, April 4 (NationPress) Following a recent explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Patharpratima, located in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, there is growing pressure on local law enforcement to investigate the status of more than 5,000 firecracker manufacturing units that were deemed illegal two years prior.

After a similar incident at an illegal factory in Egra, East Midnapore district in May 2023, a high-level committee convened to assess the proliferation of these illegal establishments.

According to records from the meeting held in August 2023, it was revealed that approximately 5,556 illegal firecracker production sites were identified in the state.

In light of the Patharpratima explosion, concerns have been raised regarding the police's effectiveness in monitoring these illegal operations—specifically, whether they have shut down these venues or if they have resumed activity following a period of inactivity.

This concern is amplified by the background of the owner of the Patharpratima factory, Chandrakanta Banik, who resumed operations even after being arrested in 2022 for illegal firecracker trade. His application for a “green licence” was also rejected in 2023 due to various objections.

The question arises: if Banik could restart his operations despite his criminal record, what assurance is there that other owners of the 5,556 illegal firecracker factories haven't done the same?

Investigations have shown that after being denied a “green licence”, Banik began manufacturing and distributing firecrackers from his home in Patharpratima, obtaining a standard trade license from the local panchayat, which didn’t authorize firecracker production or sales. Yet, he continued manufacturing at home.

Additionally, four days post-explosion, Tushar Banik, the co-accused and joint owner of the premises where the blast occurred, remains at large. He is the younger sibling of Chandrakanta Banik.

The blast resulted in the deaths of eight individuals.

Local residents have accused the police of being aware of the illegal factory's operations yet allowing it to continue. They have also expressed frustration at the police for ignoring prior warnings of such possible incidents.