After the firecracker accident claimed the lives of 11 people in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, KKSSR Ramachandran blamed the greed of owners and negligence of workers for the firecracker blast in small units.
KKSSR Ramachandran gave the statement while responding to a call attention motion in Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday.
The Minister, as per IANS said, "The unit could handle only 15 kg explosives per day but the owners had employed more workers for producing more crackers."
He said that firecracker accidents were taking place in small units. However, he said that the government had given directions to the owners of the firecracker factories to provide Rs 5 lakh compensation to all the victims who die in the mishap. He said that this mandate given to the owners of fireworks factories has led to the owners acting with caution as they will have to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to each employee.
The Minister also informed the Assembly that he had called on the fireworks companies in Kanchipuram, Katpadi and Vellore districts to provide training and awareness to labourers.
The Minister said that the state has sent circulars to district collectors to provide training and awareness to the firecracker manufacturing unit workers.
The Minister clarified that the government was not against the firework industries.
As of Friday, 11 people died in the mishap and several others who sustained severe injuries are receiving treatment at Government Hospitals in the district.
The mishap took place on Wednesday at 12 pm after the firecrackers which were kept outdoors for drying near a godown at Kuruvi hills suddenly started to burst in the combustion. The fire soon started to spread to the godown and created a major mishap.