Licences of 3 cracker units cancelled

VIRUDHUNAGAR: The licences granted to three fireworks manufacturing units have been withdrawn permanently, while 10 units have been banned from production for three days, for violation of norms, Collector of Virudhunagar, M Balaji said here on Monday.In a release, the District Collector said that officials of revenue, police, factories and fire service departments were initiating precautionary measures to prevent accidents in fireworks units and to detect illegal units. The raids have been intensified in view of the Deepavali festival.He said that from August 12 to 17, the Chief Inspector of Factories led a team of officials and conducted checks in 27 factories in Sivakasi and Virudhunagar blocks. Of them, 26 units were found to be defective or violating norms. Therefore, three of them have been banned from production permanently, ten were banned for three days. Explanations had been called from eleven units.