PLANT 10 SAPLINGS FOR ARMS LICENCE

UNDER THE ‘TREESFOR-GUN’ SCHEME IN PATIALA DISTRICT, AN APPLICANT WILL NEED TO SUBMIT SELFIES WITH 10 SAPLINGS AND FIVE FOR RENEWAL

PATIALA: Knowing well Punjabis’ love for guns, Patiala divisional commissioner has put a green rider for issuing fresh arms licences and their renewal. Now, a fresh applicant, and those wanting to renew their licences, has to plant 10 saplings and show selfies as proof to the authorities concerned.

Commissioner Chander Gaind launched the scheme on Wednesday, while MP Preneet Kaur joined through web conference and lauded the initiative.

Patiala, the home district of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, has 42,000 arms licences and one has to renew it every three years. Around 200 applications are received every month for new/ renewal of licences.

Officials also issued two licences after the applicants submitted their selfies with the saplings planted by them.

Calling the initiative ‘Trees-for-Gun’, Gaind said the idea was to inspire people to plant more trees and nurture them.

“Anyone desirous of getting a new arms licence will have to plant 10 saplings and those coming for renewal need to plant five. The applicant would need to submit a selfie with each sapling as proof. After a period of one month, before marking the application for police clearance and dope test, the applicant will have to furnish fresh saplings to show the status of the saplings,” said Gaind.

The commissioner said with this initiative, the district will see plantation of around 12,000 saplings per year, thus increasing the green cover.

Preneet Kaur, while appreciating the idea, appealed to the other districts to follow this initiative. She also assured to mention the initiative in the Lok Sabha for replication across the country.

Patiala DC Kumar Amit urged the departments concerned for proper monitoring of the saplings.