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J&K revokes ban on issuing fresh arms licences
In an order, additional chief secretary and financial commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal on Wednesday, said all concerned, including district magistrates, who are the licensing authorities, besides following the provisions of the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016, shall necessarily obtain Aadhaar Card as a proof of identity while considering an application for arms licence.
After a hiatus of four-and-a-half years, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday revoked the restriction imposed on district magistrates for issuing fresh individual arms licences.
In an order, additional chief secretary and financial commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal on Wednesday, said all concerned, including district magistrates, who are the licensing authorities, besides following the provisions of the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016, shall necessarily obtain Aadhaar Card as a proof of identity while considering an application for arms licence.
They shall also ensure that they entertain only such applications for grant of licence or for accessing any other service from an applicant, who is a resident of that particular district and in no case shall they either grant a licence or renew a licence of an applicant not residing within the jurisdiction of their district.
For ascertaining the area of residence of an applicant, a specific report from the police, certifying the same, shall be obtained by the district magistrates before processing any application.
In no case, the district magistrates shall deviate from the Rules 17 & Rule 24 of Arms Rules, 2016, concerning addresses of the licensee.
The district magistrates shall obtain a report from CID Wing of J&K Police, regarding the character and antecedents of the applicant, in addition to the police verification prescribed under Arms Rules, 2016, in order to ensure that the licensing authority is in a position to ascertain the suitability of granting licence in each individual case based on the assessment made by CID particularly with regard to the conduct of the applicant in social and public life, as also the internal security considerations.
The order further read, “For the purpose of above verification, the special DG CID, J&K, shall constitute a committee under his chairmanship to examine each case for grant of individual arms licence, keeping in view the prevailing security situation and a report shall be forwarded by the CID to the district magistrate concerned (under intimation to the home department), for appropriate consideration, subject to fulfilment of the relevant conditions laid down in Arms Rules, 2016”.
The district magistrates shall personally ensure that every service to be provided under the Arms Rules, including grant of licence, renewal of licence, extension of area validity, entry of arms/ ammunition, registration in case of change of residence of the licensee etc. are mandatorily done through NDAL/ALIS portal and physical record (duly authenticated) of all such entries which are made on the said portal are maintained concurrently in their offices. Accordingly, all applications for issuance, renewal or any other arms related services shall be received by the district magistrates only through online mode, i.e licensing portal NDAL-ALIS.
The district magistrates shall personally ensure that data/detail of any prospective licensee or of a licensee who is accessing any service under Arms Rules, uploaded on NDAL-ALIS portal, is correct and error free.
The district magistrates, in coordination with the district superintendents of police, shall keep a track of all the licensees within their jurisdiction and they shall ensure that the area validity of the licence is adhered to by the licensees.
No delegation of powers with regard to issuance/renewal or any other allied services under Arms Rules, shall be made by the district magistrate to any authority subordinate to the licensing authority in violation of Arms Act 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016.
