Valley pellet guns to guard SBI branches
KOLKATA: The 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, infamous as the ’pellet gun’ used against stonepelters in Kashmir, is set to guard the offices of the country’s largest bank, State Bank of India.
SBI authorities will buy as many as 11,000 of these five-shot compact weapons, made by the Indian Ordnance Factory at Ishapore, around 40km north of Kolkata, and phase out the single and double-barrel 12-gauge shotguns carried by its guards.
Since the new gun can fire a variety of ammunition made in the 12-gauge calibre, guards can continue with the standard lethal ammunition.
The so-called “non-legal” ammunition responsible for deaths and blindings in the Valley is issued only to government security forces.
For Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI), the country’s oldest weapon manufacturing unit set up by the British and makers of several firearms, including the INSAS assault rifle used by the army, paramilitary and police, the agreement with SBI is its single largest civilian contract.
“We have produced the first batch. According to the agreement, we have to deliver 11,000 guns to SBI over a period of three years. These will, however, be sold only through authorised gun dealers in every state,” Ratneshwar Varma, general manager, RFI, told HT.
SBI has 17,000 branches and more than 48,000 ATMs.
“Each gun will retail for around ₹75,000, inclusive of taxes,” said a dealer.