Local Factories Competing With All-India Cracker Makers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Two families in Bahjani, Nalbari and five families in Barpeta in Assam, associated with the crackers making business, are in competition with the crackers coming to the State from all over India. These local factories have been obstinately in the market and flourishing despite the lack of any government aid.

Owner of the Maa Icon Atashbaji factory in Bahjani, Akhil Talukdar, while talking to The Sentinel, said, “Our grandfather Jagaru Talukdar was the first person to start cracker-making business in Assam, and we have been doing it ever since. We start two months ahead of Deepawali. We bring raw materials from Tamil Nadu. We are famous for our earthen kolgos whose earthen cast is made by the potters of Soriagaon. It costs anywhere between Rs 20 and Rs 1,500 apiece. Helicopter shots are retailed at Rs 600, 30 shots at Rs 1,500 and 60 shots at Rs 2,850, while gas bombs are sold at Rs 50 per piece.”

Talukdar said that they sent crackers worth Rs 5,00,000 to Guwahati alone. They also market crackers in Tinisukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Golaghat.

One of the owners of the crackers factory in Barpeta, Gopjit Pathak, while speaking to The Sentinel, said, “The market this time is flourishing. We have introduced a new cracker, 'the Barpeta Express' which is the 1000 jolokia bomb. Our kolgos costs from Rs 20 to Rs 1,500 apiece, shots are retailed at Rs 400 to Rs 1,400 per piece and fuljhari at Rs 5 to Rs 1,500 per piece. We have sent crackers worth Rs 20,00,000 to Guwahati alone and also marketed in Dibrugarh and Jorhat.”

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