Thrissur: The Kerala Festival Co-ordination Committee has called for a hartal in Thrissur district on Thursday alleging that the State Government had failed to keep its promise to the festival organizers that there will not be any unnecessary restriction on the use of fireworks for temple and church festivals. Committee members have also said that if a solution was not found in the coming days, they would protest in front of the houses of all the three ministers in the state cabinet from Thrissur on February 26.
As instructed by Industries Minister A C Moideen, Thrissur Collector A Kowsigan had held discussions with the festival co-ordination committee functionaries. Both the parties told mediapersons that issues regarding the jumbo parade and fireworks had been solved. But the reluctance of the District Administration to give permission for fireworks (that will have more than 15 kg gunpowder) for the Uthralikkavu Pooram to be held on February 28 has led to the committee announcing the hartal in the district, it is learnt.
“The Collector has failed to keep his word so also the state government. As in earlier years, we had sought permission for gunpowder of 15 kgs for manufacturing fireworks at a time. It was allowed during the previous years, but now, the officials have taken the stand that only a total of 15 kgs will be given to the licencee to make fireworks,” M Madavankutty, secretary of Thiruvambady Devasowm and functionary of the committee said. Meanwhile, V.K. Venkithachalam of Heritage Animal Task Force said that with officials deciding to strictly implement rules which were hitherto violated blatantly, festival organizers were unnecessarily making controversies by wrongly interpreting the Explosives Rules 2008.
