Berhampur: In a major success against illegal sale and manufacture of firecrackers in Ganjam, the Aska police today raided Nalabanta Village and seized illegal fireworks amounting to more than Rs 45 lakhs. As the festival of Dipawali is approaching, the Police has intensified its surveillance and is carrying out massive checking against sale and manufacture of illegal crackers. According to reports, on getting information about transport of illegal crackers, the police conducted raids in Nalabanta village under Aska police station limits and seized illegal crackers amounting to more than Rs 45 lakhs from six pickup vehicles.
According to Police, one person has been arrested in the case and ten others escaped from the place. Earlier in the day Aska SDPO Umashankar Singh, Tehsildar Fakir Charan Parida and IIC Prashant Kumar Sahu conducted a joint raid at Nalabanta village and seized six firecracker-laden pickup vans. They also arrested one Hrudananda Naik hailing from Tigiria area of Cuttack District and forwarded him to court.
Nalabanta is very famous for manufacture of deshi firecrackers and businessmen from various districts come to the village to purchase firecrackers. The village also witnessed a number of fatal fire incidents in past due to storage and manufacture of raw materials and firecrackers.