RECL licence suspended after explosives vanish into thin air

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) on Sunday suspended the licence of Rajasthan Explosives and Chemicals Ltd (RECL), Dholpur, pending investigations into missing explosive-carrying trucks. RECL has been under a cloud after several trucks carrying explosives from its plant disappeared on their way to other places.

According to Dholpur collector Sarawan Kumar, the PESO headquarters in Nagpur suspended all the licenses of RECL on Saturday. Licences of six other companies in India were also suspended by PESO.

''All four licenses of RECL have been suspended. The usual suspension period is 90 days but the time period has not been specified in this case,'' he said.

The licenses are related to the chemicals manufactured at the unit. A separate license is given for each chemical manufactured at the unit. RECL manufactures fuses, fuse wires, detonators and explosive gel.

Kumar said there has been a previous instance of RECL's licenses being revoked.

Now RECL will neither be able to produce nor sell explosives to other firms. Also, PESO has directed RECL to file a reply in connection with the missing explosives, and only after this can it apply for renewal of the licences. Formerly known as the department of explosives, PESO comes under the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) of the union ministry of commerce and industry.