Union Minister for Environment & Forests Dr. Harsh Vardhan has promised Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambithurai and the AIADMK MPs who met him that the Centre won’t enact any law(s) banning the manufacture of crackers in the country.

A case was filed with the Supreme Court seeking ban on manufacturing crackers in the country.  Cracker-manufacturing firms all over the country had expressed their deep apprehensions stating that their livelihood would be affected badly if a law was enacted banning manufacture of crackers. It was in this backdrop that Thambithurai led a team of party MPs to meet the Union Environment & Forests Minister.

The team submitted a memorandum to the Minister requesting him to ensure that the Centre should keep in mind the livelihoods of lakhs of people involved in the cracker-manufacturing industry in the country. It also requested that the apex Court should think deep and hard before delivering its verdict while taking up the case involving request to ban crackers manufacturing.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan reportedly assured the MPs that the Centre won’t enact any laws which would even remotely hurt the livelihood rights of lakhs of people involved in manufacturing crackers in the country.