Illegal cracker vendors do brisk business

These stalls, spread out on the footpaths all along the entire Rajmarg (the main road from station to Chowk), Lal Darwaja, are nothing more than a bedsheet spread out.

Nothing wrong, one would say, except the fact that the activity is illegal. These stalls have been put up without police permission, which is mandatory to sell firecrackers. Secondly, having occupied the entire Rajmarg (the main road from station to Chowk), Lal Darwaja, traffic jams have now become the order of the day. To top it all, allegations that the crackers sold are stolen goods are doing the rounds.

While the police make no bones of the illegal selling, nobody seems to be complaining. The people are the most happy as they get crackers at much lower prices than those sold at authorised shops.

While the range of firecrackers varies from lavangiya (an inch-long firecracker) to rockets, bargaining comes as an added advantage for the people.

City Police Commissioner Maniram, admits the practise but says little can be done about it. “These people have not taken police permission, but the selling cannot be stopped because of public demand.” On allegations that the crackers being sold were stolen goods, the commissioner says, “It is possible. We haven’t carried out raids but can’t do much because of the festive season.” He also pointed out that as no complaints have been registered against them, it was also difficult to prove that the crackers were stolen.

In fact, the city police had on Sunday night attempted to stop the vendors from selling crackers, after complaints that the selling was illegal, but were met with resistance from people of the Lal Gate area.

Meanwhile, the vendors have been doing brisk business. Besides not taking permission, these vendors also do not have to pay rent and electricity charges for putting up the stalls. They do not incur no other expenditures on precautions that are mandatory for the other stall owners. While the practise has been going on for years, the concerned authorities fail to do much in the regard, as the vendors put up stalls just a few days before Diwali.

Chiman Waghri, a vendor selling firecrackers at Bhagatalao, denies that the goods are stolen. “After the season, we buy unsold firecrackers from dealers at low prices and so charge less,” he contends. Raghavji Rathod, another seller says that he brought the firecrackers from Ahmedabad like every year.

The fact, however, remains that it is the people who are the ultimate beneficiaries. “I got these for Rs 500, and would have had to pay not less than Rs 1000 if I bought these from a stall,” says Sandeep Patel, carrying a bagfull of crackers home.