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Free education for kids of firecracker unit victims: Stalin
The Tamil Nadu government will bear the educational expenses of children of workers killed in accidents inside firecracker factories, chief minister MK Stalin said
The Tamil Nadu government will bear the educational expenses of children of workers killed in accidents inside firecracker factories, chief minister MK Stalin announced on Sunday.
The state has created a ₹5-crore fund for the initial phase of the scheme and a special committee will be appointed by the district collector to oversee its implementation.
“I am announcing that the state government will bear the entire educational expenses from primary school to higher education of children of firecracker factory workers who lost their lives in accidents,” Stalin said. “The assistance will be decided at the district level, and a fund of ₹5 crore has been allocated for this scheme,” he added.
Stalin made the announcement during his two-day visit to Virudhunagar district, which is the hub of firecracker manufacturing units in the country. Every year several accidents are reported from firecracker factories. Much of the fireworks manufacturing units are concentrated at Sivakasi in Virudhunagar, from where firecrackers are supplied across the country.
Sivakasi produces firecrackers worth an estimated ₹6,000 crore every year, 90% of the volume produced in India, according to officials. “We follow all safety precautions. However, most of the accidents are reported when workers mix chemicals, especially during peak summers,” a factory owner in Sivakasi said on condition of anonymity.
“The government scheme will help the workers’ children as they all come from very poor families,” he added. Production of firecrackers for next year’s Diwali usually begins around this time when the workers have also returned from festival holidays, the owner said.
Stalin inspected firecracker factories during his visit that began on November 9 to assess safety measures, their licences, chemical storage areas, manufacturing units and warehouses. He also interacted with workers and specifically asked the women if they were reaping the benefits of another state government scheme, a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 handed out to women heading low-income families. Stalin also instructed officials to strengthen safety protocols in fireworks manufacturing units.
According to the Virudhunagar district administration, there are 1,010 factory units. Of these, 269 have been given licences by the district revenue office and 741 by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (Peso). The number of workers employed directly is 150,000 and workers in the allied industries -- offset printing, paperboard, retail and transport -- are close to 500,000, according to a district official.
Factory owners said that the total number of people working in fireworks and allied industries in the region could be around 800,000.
The chief minister launched development projects to the tune of ₹101 crore for the district and also inaugurated a newly built district collector’s office in Virudhunagar.
