Now under fire, the state machinery has launched an investigation into illegal and hazardous factories and godowns operating across Gujarat. Orders have been passed to take immediate punitive action against units holding invalid licences or flouting safety protocols, an effort that follows rather than prevents disaster.In a widened crackdown, the government has urged collectors and provincial officers not to limit inspections to firecracker units and chemical godowns alone, but to extend surprise surveys to shopping malls, commercial godowns, and other major storage hubs. Each unit will face rigorous scrutiny to identify any illegal stockpiling of explosives or chemicals.The Deesa firecracker unit, which operated illegally in the GIDC area without valid permission, continued to function unchecked, even after its application for renewal was ignored by the administration. Despite this glaring red flag, government officials failed to act, turning a blind eye until tragedy struck.Now, after 21 workers paid the price with their lives, the administration has suddenly jolted into action. Had the system shown even a fraction of this urgency earlier, those lives could have been saved.In a twist that deepens the scandal, the main accused in the Deesa firecracker factory blast, Deepak Sindhi, has been found to have political ties cutting across party lines.
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