Kangra administration to decentralise arms licence renewal

Dharamsala, February 5

The Kangra administration is working for a decentralised service delivery in the district. As a first initiative in this regard, the administration has decided that arms licence holders in the district would not have to come to the district headquarters for the submission of their documents.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal, while talking to The Tribune, said from February 7, there shall be no need to visit the district headquarters for the renewal of weapon licence under the self-protection category. Documents will be submitted at the sub-divisional level, for which training is being imparted to staff members.

He said online login credentials of Sub-Divisional Officers had been created for the renewal of licences for weapons of self-defence and from February 7. This facility will be available to licence holders of Kangra district. The documents for renewal of licence would be uploaded at the sub-divisional level and the approval shall be granted by the ADM on a case to case basis. As the licence issuing authority is the ADM, he himself would go to the subdivisions and ensure the disposal of licence renewal matters, as per need.

Jindal said this facility would be available only for the renewal of licences initially. For new cases, people have to approach the district headquarters. He said licence holders against whom there were criminal cases will have to come for the renewal of licence from the district level itself.

The Deputy Commissioner said at the sub-divisional level, weapon licences for crop protection from animals are issued through the Sub-Divisional Officer. But the issuance of new self-protection licences and their renewal was being done at District Level. Kangra being a big district, it was seen that the requirement of visiting the district headquarters was causing inconvenience to licensees in renewal cases especially when the licensees were of old age.

To make the process more convenient, this initiative has been undertaken and for the purpose, technology has been harnessed and an application developed by NIC. As per official record, there are more than 20,000 licensees of self and crop protection in Kangra district.