Fireworks manufacturers and sellers urged the West Bengal government to facilitate the introduction of a single-window system for issuing trade licences to the eligible ones.

According to Sara Bangla Atash Bazi Unnayan Samity (All Bengal Fireworks Development Association), at least one lakh manufacturers and sellers are waiting for their licences.

Currently, the members have to seek no-objection certificates from different authorities, including the police, local municipalities or panchayats and the fire brigade.

Babla Roy, the chairman of the association, told PTI, a delegation of manufacturers met senior officials at state secretariat Nabanna' and informed them that members were being subjected to "harassment" by the police and administration officials under the garb of raids for confiscation of illegal crackers.

"Over the past few years, our members have developed the expertise to manufacture low sound-producing fireworks which can compete at any point of time with those from Shivkasi. But as we could not attend the workshops of central agencies, like NEERI and PESO, due to lack of money, our fireworks are being seized by the teams of West Bengal Pollution Control Board and the environment department.

The small and medium fireworks makers and dealers in the state are being denied their licences. We want the issue to be resolved at the earliest as it involves the livelihood of 31 lakh people," Roy said.

A senior police officer, when approached, said measures and action were being taken as per instructions provided by authorities.

The Calcutta High Court has allowed the use of green crackers bearing QR codes in West Bengal.

Roy said foreign-made lantern (Phanush) and Chinese crackers are being sold at markets, "while the interests of local sellers, who are complying with all eco norms, get ignored".

"We demand a ban on the entry of foreign-made products during Diwali," he stated.

The chairman of the fireworks makers' association asserted that its members were ready to manufacture green crackers, conforming to the recent order of the Calcutta High Court, and requested the state government to pave the way for them to get their fireworks tested as per norms.

A senior state official said the government has listened to the issues raised by the fireworks sellers' body and promised to look into the matters after talking to all stakeholders.

"We will have another discussion with the association early next week," an official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board said.