The government’s decision to impose restrictions on bursting of firecrackers in cyclone-hit coastal Andhra districts on the eve of Deepavali came as a shock for cracker sellers who hoped to do brisk business this time here.
Traders feel that there would be at least a 20 per cent dip in the business owing to the latest orders issued by the government.
They stocked up their shelves with different varieties of firecrackers as several small-time shopkeepers from the coastal districts throng the city to buy crackers and sell them with a margin of more than 20 per cent.
About 330 traders have chalked out action plans to set up makeshift shops at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Stadium, PWD and Gymkhana Grounds, Autonagar, Kanuru and other open areas. But the government’s decision would leave the traders high and dry, Vijayawada Retail Firecrackers’ Association president B. Laxmi Narayana said.
According to Mr. Narayana, more than 200 varieties of firecrackers were brought from Sivakasi, the hub for making crackers, and preserved at godowns at Tadepalligudem and Mangalagiri.
“We will start selling crackers after getting necessary clearances from the police and fire services departments,” he explained. Traders said each shopkeeper would sell stock worth of over Rs.4 lakh. The traders clocked about Rs.5 crore revenue last year and this time round the revenue might dip slightly owing to the restrictions imposed by the government according to the industry estimates.
