State authorities have directed top police and district officials across Karnataka to review a crucial petition concerning gun license renewals, following concerns raised by the National Environment Conservation Federation (NECF). The directive, issued by the Additional Chief Secretary on September 2 from Mangaluru, instructs the Director General of Police and all District Collectors/Police Commissioners to examine NECF's suggestions for stricter guidelines and take necessary action.
The NECF's petition highlights a significant shift in land use since many existing gun licenses were initially granted decades ago for agricultural protection. H. Shashidhar Shetty, NECF's Honorary Secretary, pointed out that numerous license holders or their descendants no longer possess the agricultural land for which the firearms were originally intended. Much of this land has been sold, converted for industrial or commercial use, developed into layouts, or lies fallow. Even where cultivation continues, it often involves commercial crops like rubber or areca nut, or conversion into resorts.
Shetty specifically cited Sullia taluk in D.K. district, where 4,500 gun licenses are active among 21,000 families, yet a majority of these license holders lack agricultural land. He expressed concerns that these firearms are now being misused for poaching wild animals. Currently, applications for gun license renewal and new guns must be submitted online.
To address these issues, the NECF has proposed several stringent conditions for both renewing existing gun licenses and issuing new ones. Applicants must now attach a copy of the agricultural land's RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops). Proof of cultivation, such as a Google image photo certified by the local Village Accountant (VA) or Horticulture Department, would also be mandatory.
Further requirements include providing documentation of complaints filed with the Forest Department regarding crop damage by wild animals and proof of receiving compensation. For license transfers from father to son, the son must present a certificate from a district arms training workshop. The NECF also advocates for applicants to have no criminal record with any police station or zonal forest department, and to obtain a character certificate from their local police station. Monthly records of ammunition purchases, submitted to both the local Forest Department and Police Station, formed another key suggestion. The state government's directive mandates District Collectors and Police Officers to thoroughly review these comprehensive suggestions and implement necessary actions.
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📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK