West Bengal to Centralize Firecracker License Issuance After Deadly Blast

Following a major explosion at an illegal firecracker warehouse in North 24 Parganas district on August 27, the West Bengal government is taking strong measures to regulate the firecracker industry. One of the initial steps is to centralize the process of granting new licenses or renewing existing ones for firecracker utilities, eliminating district-level approvals.

This move aims to curb corruption and ensure that safety standards are met. Additionally, the state government plans to involve the Intelligence Branch of the state police to gather information about illegal firecracker facilities and launch crackdowns on such operations. Recent months have witnessed multiple blasts in illegal firecracker units across the state, prompting these regulatory changes.