Arms licence scheme not valid in inter-state border areas: Himanta
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Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the special scheme for providing arms licence to indigenous citizens and original inhabitants, which was cleared by the cabinet on Thursday, will not be applicable to the inter-state border areas of the state.
"There were some queries regarding whether the arms license policy would also apply to inter-state border areas such as those shared with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Let us clarify, Assam has always maintained that inter-state border issues are matters that can and should be resolved through mutual understanding and trust. We do not view these regions as vulnerable in the context of national security threats," Sarma wrote on X.
He posted a video giving an outline of the scheme, which, rooted in the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016, will be administered by the state home and political department.
The policy states that only the indigenous and original inhabitants of Assam with valid ID and residing in vulnerable and remote areas facing genuine personal security threats can apply for arms licence under this special scheme.
The policy mandates that the requirement of the arms licence of an individual will be assessed through police verification, intelligence-based threat assessment, mandatory recommendation from the district superintendents of police and consultation by the district magistrate with security agencies.
The legal framework stipulates that the licence in the name of an individual cannot be transferred to another and misuse will lead to cancellation.
An individual seeking arms licence will have to submit both the special scheme and the standard license forms together.
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