Jamshedpur, Oct. 10: Firecracker sellers are up in arms against the move of the district administration to shift their establishments to an open space or an area that is not densely populated.

Sources said the administration had served a notice on firecracker sellers to shift their shops and godowns to an open space in the “interest of people’s safety”. “If they fail to comply with the order, their licence will be cancelled,” sources said.

Businessmen, especially the firecracker wholesale dealers, said if the administration sticks to its decision, they would have no alternative but to surrender their licences.

Anvind Kumar Mangotia, the owner of Jean Enterprises, said the administration’s decision is impractical. “The pretext of stopping sales in the name of the safety of people residing in buildings adjacent to the shops is not acceptable to us,” he said.

“Firecracker shops are allowed to do business in Upper Bazar area of Ranchi, which is more densely populated than Jugsalai,” he added.

Another businessman, on condition of anonymity, alleged that the objection to the sale of crackers in residential areas was raised by the local legislator after he was refused “donation”.

He said: “The administration agreed with the legislator without keeping in mind the interest of businessmen. Therefore, we have no alternative but to stop the business,” he said.

Raj Kumar, the proprietor of Ishwar Chand Agarwal Store, which has been in the firecracker business for the past 40 years in Jugsalai chowk area, said there had been no casualty in the shop till date.

However, the arms magistrate Dinesh Prasad, who looks after firecracker business and issues licence, said the administration had given them sufficient time to vacate the shops in the residential area. “They were issued the notice to the wholesale dealers a few months ago but they ignored the orders and continued to do business,” he said.

“We cannot risk the safety of people,” he added. The officer said police stations would be asked to make surprise checks to the shops. “They will have the power to seize firecrackers and lodge a case against the shopkeepers,” he added.