High prices, awareness on environment keep people away from purchasing crackers

Tirupati: Several people in pilgrim city and other parts of Chittoor district keep away from purchasing fire crackers due to their high costs and due to environment awareness. Many people are celebrating Diwali only with lighting the earthen diyas (lamps).

At the same time many people keep away from crackers purchase because of high prices. In Tirupati each crackers gift box is sold between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 and other crackers box is sold between Rs 500 to Rs 1000 and rocket boxes are sold between Rs 750 to 1,500. Multiple shot cracker boxes in crackers bazaar sold each between Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 depending on its specialty.

Poorer and middle-class sections are facing hardships for buying crackers, sweets and other things due to insufficient income. Even earthen diyas pair is priced between Rs 50 to Rs 75.

Similarly, purchase of sweets has become a hurdle to low income groups. The average price of sweets in the market is Rs 500 per kg. Similarly, flowers rates are also increasing. Due to festival demand, 100 gm of flowers are sold at Rs 50.

Interacting with The Hans India Tirupati Crackers Merchants Association president Pulicheri Bhaskar said on Saturday, ``Due to imposing of highest GST on crackers the rates stood in atop. We had purchased crackers from manufactures at high cost. Just with slight margin, we are selling the crackers to the people. Last year, there was Rs 5 cr business and it has come down to Rs 3 crore this year.''