Ahmedabad: More than 50 firecracker shops sealed after the Ramol factory blaze will be allowed to reopen temporarily, but only to sell rakhis and other non-firecracker goods.The AMC standing committee approved the conditional reopening on Thursday after traders said their premises were also used for seasonal businesses and sought permission to resume rakhi sales ahead of Rakshabandhan on Aug 28.Shopkeepers will have to give the civic body an undertaking that they will neither stock nor sell firecrackers. The seals will be removed only after the bonds are submitted, and the traders must follow all rules governing the non-firecracker businesses they operate from the premises.Standing committee chairperson Kamlesh Patel said the shops were sealed during a crackdown following the fire at an illegal firecracker unit in Ramol, which claimed 10 lives. Action was taken against the shops for not having fire NOC, police permission, and building use (BU) permission.The relaxation does not permit the traders to resume the firecracker business. Patel said only those meeting the requirements for BU permission, fire safety compliance and police approval would be allowed to stock or sell firecrackers.
