SRINAGAR, JULY 16: The Government today made it clear that all the Individual Arms Licenses issued from January 2017 to February 2018 have not been revoked by virtue of Order No: 922-Home of 2018 dated 12 July 2018 as has been reported by a section of the media.
“Through the said order the District Magistrates have been asked to take urgent steps to revoke all such individual arms licenses issued from 15th July, 2016 i.e. the date of notification of Arms Rules, 2016, onwards to various persons (excluding Personnel belonging to State Police, Army and CAPFs), which after scrutiny, are not found to meet the requisite conditions prescribed in said Rules,” said a spokesman of the Home Department.
He said some of the conditions prescribed in the said Rules relate to proof of identity/residence, undertaking with regard to safe use and storage of firearms and medical certification about the mental health and physical fitness of the applicant. “Therefore, all such persons who had acquired an Arms License, after fully complying the requisite conditions would not be adversely affected by the Government’s directive,” he said adding that the District Magistrates have also been asked to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of Arms Rules of 2016, on their being approached by a licensee for renewal.
He said the District Magistrates have been further asked to that new individual arms licenses shall not be issued by them in the State of J&K till further orders.
The spokesman further stated that the Government had through its earlier order of 6th March, 2018 asked the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and Jammu to verify all the cases of new individual arms licenses issued during 1.1.2017 to 23.2.2018 in respect of eight districts namely Kishtwar, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Leh, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur and besides, pending this verification, District Magistrates of these eight districts had been directed not to issue any new individual arms licenses till further orders.
