Ensure safe transit of vehicles with ammonium nitrate: Centre

NEW DELHI: Seeking to prevent pilferage of ammonium nitrate and its misuse of by terrorists, the Centre has asked all the state governments to ensure safe transit of vehicles carrying such explosives and monitor the units involved in handling of such substances.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma today said the Union government has requested Chief Secretaries of all state governments and Union territories to instruct all District Superintendents of Police and Police Commissioners to ensure safe transit of vehicles carrying explosives through their respective districts.

"...and to provide armed guards to escort these vehicles at all times within the jurisdiction of their respective districts; and to monitor all the existing units involved in the handling of ammonium nitrate...," he said.

He was replying to a question about the concrete measures taken by the government to regulate the sale and pilferage of explosive substances.

According to reports, traces of ammonium nitrate were found at bomb blast sites at several places, including Pune and Hyderabad.

The Minister said that activities related to manufacture, import, export, transport, storage, sale and use of explosives, including ammonium nitrate are regulated through the Explosives rules 2008 and the Ammonium Nitrate Rules.

The Ammonium Nitrate Rules 2012 were finalised and notified under the Explosives Act 1884 on 11 August, 2012 in order to regulate the manufacturing, storage, sale, use, transportation, import and export of ammonium nitrate, he added.