Chennai, Mar 23 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, KKSSR Ramachandran said that the greed of the owners and negligence of workers is leading to the explosions in small firecracker units.

He said this while responding to a calling attention motion in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday on the accident at a cracker unit in Orikkai village in Kancheepuram district.

The minister said that even though the unit could handle only 15 kg of explosives per day for making crackers, "the owners had employed more workers for producing more crackers".

At least 10 people lost their lives following an explosion in the firecracker unit at Kancheepuram on Wednesday.

The minister said that there are 1,076 firecracker units in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu, adding that fire accidents were taking place in small units.

He said the government has given directions to the owners of fireworks factories to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to labourers who get killed in an explosion.

He said that this mandate given to the owners of fireworks factories has led to the owners acting with caution as they will have to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to each employee.

The minister said that the government was not against any industries but called upon the fireworks companies in Kancheepuram, Katpadi and Vellore to provide training and awareness to labourers.

He also said that the state government has sent a circular to district collectors on providing training and awareness to workers in the state.