Now, Punjab Police to carry out quarterly checks of gun houses

CHANDIGARH : Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav ordered mandatory quarterly inspection of gun houses and stocks of all licensed gun manufacturers and dealers across the state on Friday.

The DGP directed all inspector generals of police, deputy inspector generals, police commissioners and senior superintendents of police to inspect the shops, premises, and stocks of all licensed manufactures and dealers falling under their subdivisions under Rule 20.14 of Punjab Police Rules. “Apart from this, the district superintendent of police is required to conduct at least one inspection each year,” the DGP added.

It is noteworthy that while Punjab has only 2% of India’s population, it has nearly 10% of the total licensed weapons, which stand at nearly 4 lakh, or there are 13 gun licences for every 1,000 persons in Punjab.

The region also sees a huge influx of illegal weapons from across the international border and the interstate borders through UP, Bihar and MP. Although the weapons are illegally procured, the ammunition is mostly pilfered from local gun houses across Punjab. Earlier, CM Bhagwant Mann had said that gun licences issued to antisocial elements be cancelled immediately. It was also ordered that no new licence be issued for the next three months, except in cases of genuine urgency.

Ban on songs with guns: Warring takes a dig at Punjab govt

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring took a dig at the state government’s ban on public display of weapons.

Referring to a route march by some weapon-wielding people, Warring said: “These people have cocked a snook at the government by defying the ban within five days of its order.”

He also questioned the AAP government’s credibility, stating it has lost all its authority as was evident from the way its ban was treated.