Union Budget 2024: Sivakasi firecracker industry want GST reduced

Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu is known for its firecracker industry.The firecracker industry here has a turnover of around Rs 5,000 crore per annum, with the manufacturers here fulfilling 90 percent of India’s demand for firecrackers.However, over the past decade, the industry has faced one crisis after another.These include a ban on the use of Barium Nitrate, a key raw material used in the making of firecrackers, ban on the manufacture of Saravedi firecrackers, 18 per cent GST on the products and a series of accidental explosions in the manufacturing units.There is also a demand for steps to be taken to remove the industry from under environmental protection rules.