New Explosives Law Proposed to Replace 1884 Act

New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) The government is planning to replace the existing Explosives Act of 1884 with a new law to further promote ease of doing business in the sector.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has sought views on the proposed draft Explosives Bill 2024.

Explosives include gunpowder, nitroglycerine, nitroglycol, di-nitro-toluene, and picric acid.

The draft bill seeks to increase fines for violation of provisions. It has also proposed to further streamline the process of grant of licences.

The proposed Explosive Bill 2024 said that the Central Government shall prescribe the authority competent to grant, suspend or revoke a licence and to perform certain other functions under the new act.

At present Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is the authority for granting licences for the manufacture, possession, use, sale, import and export of any explosive.

The new bill also proposes that the licensing authority would specify in the licence about the quantity of explosive that a licencee can manufacture, possess, sell, transport, import or export, for the specified period, as may be prescribed.

If a licencee manufacturers, imports or exports in violation of any provisions the draft bill proposes three years imprisonment or a Rs 1 lakh fine or both. In the existing Explosives Act, the prison term for violation is three years, and a Rs 50,000 fine.

Similarly, for the possession, use, sale or transport of any explosive in violation of the provisions of the new bill jail term of up to two years or a fine of Rs 50,000 or both is proposed. In the existing law, the amount of fine is Rs 3,000.