Cuttack, Oct. 24: The recent police order of not allowing temporary firecracker shops to come up near residential areas has not gone down well with traders who are demanding relaxation of the norms in the city.

Anticipating a huge loss and poor sale of crackers in view of the possible formation of a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal that might dampen the Diwali festivities, the traders have already been a worried lot. The cracker shop order has added to their woes. A few traders approached the Cuttack Mahanagar Shanti Committee and well as moved Orissa High Court seeking urgent intervention in the "arbitrary" order that was likely to affect their business and livelihood.

"Most of the traders have invested over Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh by taking loans from their friends and relatives to purchase firecrackers. We have no idea about what we will do with these as we do not want to set up kiosks at the identified vacant places as the overall business would not be satisfactory in those spots," said Ulash Nandi, a trader at Keuta Sahi.

Some of the identified places for selling crackers include the Bali yatra ground, Kathajodi embankment, a vacant plot near Windsor Palace, Bose Engineering Ground, Gandhi Market, Chauliaganj and Potapokhari.

The traders alleged that they came to know about the restrictions on October 17, while they had booked the firecracker stocks much in advance. "We had ordered for firecracker stocks six months ago and are not able to sale or display them in our shops as cops decided not to allow any temporary shop near residential areas this year," said Nandi.

There are only 16 traders, who have godown licence to stock and sale crackers in their respective shops at Choudhary Bazar and Nandi Sahi - the prime cracker markets in the city. For generations, more than 60 traders have been engaged in the purchase and sale of crackers on temporary licence here. Besides, over 400 persons also seek temporary licence to set up firecracker shops in different parts of city every year during Diwali.

Sources said that this year, nearly 287 persons had applied for temporary licence for setting up cracker shops at these areas. It is from these wholesale and retail markets that traders from other parts of the state procure crackers that are manufactured at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu.

Another firecracker trader Ramesh Sahu said: "Most of us who set up firecracker shops at Choudhary Bazar, Nandi Sahi and Keuta Sahi, usually keep fire extinguishers, sand buckets and other necessary fire safety measures as these units are located near the residential areas. We welcome the initiative for streamlining things to prevent any untoward incidents. But, this decision was arbitrarily imposed without no prior information."

The police issued the order about the cracker shop locations on October 16. Senior police officials claimed that the restrictions on setting up of firecracker shops had been imposed in accordance with the Union government's guidelines.

"Five to six shops that had displayed firecrackers in a few places were warned and 30 open spaces, including playgrounds, were identified. The temporary firecracker shops will be allowed this year only at the earmarked spots," said deputy commissioner of police Sanjeev Arora.

"According to government guidelines, not a single temporary licence will issued for setting up of firecracker kiosks near the residential areas or on roadsides. Some traders have moved the high court and necessary steps will be taken in accordance with its direction," said Arora.