ID :
133066
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 07:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/133066
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Cabinet approves tougher provisions for Arms Act
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Tightening up the process for
grant of arms licence, the Indian Government Thursday decided
to make mandatory a police verification report on the
applicant before the document is issued to him.
The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, decided to amend relevant sections of the Arms
Act of 1959 that empower the licensing authority to grant an
arms license in absence of the police verification report.
"The Cabinet also approved the introduction of the Arms
(Amendment) Bill, 2010 in Parliament," Information and
Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters here.
The proposed amendments will obviate chances of issuing
arms licences to persons whose antecedents are not bonafide,
and ensure receipt of police verification report within a
period of 60 days, she said.
Once the amendments are approved by Parliament, the
licensing authority will be obliged to take into consideration
the report of the police authorities before grant of an arms
licence in each case, Soni said.
The Arms (Amendment) Bill 2010 would be introduced in
Parliament specifying a period of 60 days for the purpose of
police report and deletion of the discretionary powers of the
licensing authority.
In the current law, the quantum of prescribed time has
not been specifically defined which could lead to licensing
authority invoking discretionary powers to grant an arms
licence to a person whose antecedents may not be clear.
"Considering the importance of the police verification
report in the grant of arms licences to any person, it has
been decided to delete the proviso to Section 13(2A) of the
Arms Act 1959 and prescribe a period of 60 days for the police
authorities to send their report," Soni said.
When the matter came up for discussion at the Cabinet
meeting, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah
cited the prevalence of unlicensed arms in Jammu and Kashmir
state in north India.
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee pointed out how arms
were being brought into the country by infiltrators. PTI
grant of arms licence, the Indian Government Thursday decided
to make mandatory a police verification report on the
applicant before the document is issued to him.
The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, decided to amend relevant sections of the Arms
Act of 1959 that empower the licensing authority to grant an
arms license in absence of the police verification report.
"The Cabinet also approved the introduction of the Arms
(Amendment) Bill, 2010 in Parliament," Information and
Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters here.
The proposed amendments will obviate chances of issuing
arms licences to persons whose antecedents are not bonafide,
and ensure receipt of police verification report within a
period of 60 days, she said.
Once the amendments are approved by Parliament, the
licensing authority will be obliged to take into consideration
the report of the police authorities before grant of an arms
licence in each case, Soni said.
The Arms (Amendment) Bill 2010 would be introduced in
Parliament specifying a period of 60 days for the purpose of
police report and deletion of the discretionary powers of the
licensing authority.
In the current law, the quantum of prescribed time has
not been specifically defined which could lead to licensing
authority invoking discretionary powers to grant an arms
licence to a person whose antecedents may not be clear.
"Considering the importance of the police verification
report in the grant of arms licences to any person, it has
been decided to delete the proviso to Section 13(2A) of the
Arms Act 1959 and prescribe a period of 60 days for the police
authorities to send their report," Soni said.
When the matter came up for discussion at the Cabinet
meeting, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah
cited the prevalence of unlicensed arms in Jammu and Kashmir
state in north India.
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee pointed out how arms
were being brought into the country by infiltrators. PTI
