Many illegal crackers shops thrive on bribery

As many as 12 crackers shops and five motor bikes were gutted in the fire accident in Asifabad town on Tuesday night. There was no loss of life.

It was found that the shops were lacking safety measures and that those running the shops did not take the necessary permission even though revenue officials claimed that they had seized 13 crackers shops in Adilabad town and nearly 30 shops in Nirmal town.

It is learnt that those organising the crackers shops were reluctatnt to obtaining permission to set up the shops as they are of the opinion that it is just a four-day business and that they can manage the show by bribing officials concerned.

Even in Nirmal and Mancherial towns, many cracker shops were established without permission from the municipal, revenue and police authorities.

The crackers shops should necessarily keep water and sand within the reach to douse flames, in case of any mishap.However, only empty drums were found without any water. Neither was sand kept within reach.This morning, Adilabad RDO A. Sudhakar Reddy inspected the crackers shops and enquired about the safety measures the shops owners had taken to avoid fire accidents.

Meanwhile, leaders of Association of Owners of Crackers Shops, Adilabad, said they had offered bribes and even family packs of crackers to a few top officials of the police and fire departments and to some mediapersons as well to avoid inquiry into safety lapses on the premises of their shops. People should be careful in bursting crackers.