A shopkeeper sits in front of his closed establishment in Patna City on Sunday. Picture by Sachin

Patna City bore a deserted look in the past two days when it is usually crackling with life this time of the year.

All the 200 shops on the 2-km stretch from Pashim Darwaja to Chowk area in this cracker hub have remained shut ever since the district administration cracked down on them last week.

The district administration is leaving nothing to chance after the stampede after Ravan Vadh on Dussehra Day at Gandhi Maidan in which 33 lives were lost.

The administration has now issued strict instructions vis-a-vis sale of crackers in the run-up to Diwali. Shops that do not have a licence or are not adhering to certain safety norms — like keeping water or fire extinguishers handy for use in case of an untoward incident— will not be allowed.

But the cracker-sellers allege the district administration is unnecessarily cracking down on their shops. “Those who have a licence are also being forced to down shutters. We respect the district administration’s instruction but genuine sellers should not suffer because of the fault of a few. Diwali is the time when we do brisk business. But if our shops will remain shut in this peak season then it would be a big loss,” said Rajesh Rai, a cracker-seller in the Pashim Darwaja area.

Mustaq, a cracker-seller in Gudri Baazar area, said: “Because of a few illegal shopkeepers, even we are facing the district administration’s heat. We should be allowed to continue our business. The stocks in our godown are lying idle, as we are unable to sell them. If we open our shops, the police come and seize the crackers. How long can we continue to bear losses?”

Last week, a police team led by Patna City sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rajesh Kumar raided cracker shops and sealed as many as 10 that were selling crackers without licence. The shops were also sealed for violating traffic rules and for not following security measures, like not keeping fire extinguishers for use during any unforseen accident in their shops.

Asked about shutting down genuine shops, SDPO Rajesh said: “Following instructions from senior officials, we raided shops and sealed them as none of them could produce a licence to sell crackers. Unless there is an order from the district magistrate we cannot allow opening of shops. I cannot do anything in this matter. I am just following orders from my seniors.”

Many set up cracker shops only for Diwali and do temporary trade. There is a separate licence granted for doing trade for 20 days.

Several people returned empty-handed from the cracker hub on Sunday as the shops were all shut.

Residents expressed disappointment.

“Every year I visit Patna City to purchase crackers in advance and avoid last-minute crowds. But with shops all shut, it is now difficult to get anything. Sellers are not sure when they can reopen their shops and resume trade. The price of crackers at Patna City is reasonable compared to other shops in Patna. You get good discounts, too, and the best part is everything is available under one roof, at any shop,” said Kundan Rai, a resident of Buddha Colony.

Retail cracker sellers are also feeling the pinch as even they purchase crackers in bulk from Patna City for sale elsewhere.

“Every year I set up a small shop near Rajapur Pul at least 15 days in advance, but this year I haven’t installed one yet because shops in Patna City are closed. Am yet to buy the crackers for sale. One used to get good discounts on purchasing crackers in bulk from these shops,” said Mathura Das, a retailer from East Boring Canal Road.

Patna district magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh described the closure of cracker shops as the administration’s crackdown on illegal sellers. “I do not have a problem with genuine sellers. But I will not allow any cracker shop to run if it does not possess a genuine licence. As far as closing down all the shops in Patna City is concerned, I will take a look into the matter to resolve the issue,” he said.