Chandigarh:1,800 apply for licence to sell green crackers in city

The administration will be allotting licence to 96 vendors, who will can set up at their stalls at 11 designated places in the city

The UT administration has received over 1,800 applications seeking licence to sell green crackers in the city.

According to the administration, this new system will bring transparency in the allocation of stalls and people will not have to visit their offices. (HT File)

The administration will be allotting licence to 96 vendors, who will can set up at their stalls at 11 designated places in the city.

The deadline was submitting the application was Friday. The administration will now be holding the draw of lots at Bal Bhawan, Sector 23, on October 25.

The administration had sought online applications for the first time this year, leading to a higher number of applications compared to last year. The application fee was set at ₹500. After the draw, the list of successful licence-holding vendors will be released on the same portal.

According to the administration, this new system will bring transparency in the allocation of stalls and people will not have to visit their offices.

The administration has decided to allow the use of green crackers only for two hours – from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, and from 4 am to 5 am and 9 pm to 10 pm on Gurpurab.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), vide its orders dated December 1, 2020, had allowed restricted use of green crackers in cities and towns where air quality was moderate or poor.