The Home Ministry has notified amended Arms Rules
The Home Ministry in the new amended Arms Rules have allowed manufacturers to enhance their annual production of "firearms or ammunition or calibre wise revision" of its licensed capacity by giving intimation to the licensing authority and also to state governments within 90 days from the end of the financial year.
As per the new rules, called the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2022, which the Home Ministry notified on Thursday, "no further endorsement on the licence as to capacity shall be required".
Rule 60 A (Capacity revision for new manufacturers issued a licence in Form VII) of the amended Arms rules, mentions "the new manufacturer who has been issued a licence in Form VII under these rules may apply for enhancement or restoration or re-fixation or calibre wise revision of his licensed capacity and the provisions of rule 60 shall apply mutatis mutandis to such manufacturers".
Rule 60B (Enhanced annual production) of the rule later reads "the manufacturer who has been issued a licence in Form VII under these rules shall be permitted to have enhanced annual production of firearms or ammunition or calibre wise revision of his licensed capacity by giving intimation to the licensing authority and also to the State Government concerned within ninety days from the end of the financial year and for which no further endorsement on the licence as to capacity shall be required".
However, it is also directed that manufacturers shall establish online electronic connectivity under its user ID with the NDAL-ALIS system of the central government and provide for a monthly electronic online transfer of data regarding firearms manufactured and sold or transferred, and ammunition manufactured, sold, transferred or consumed for the month, as recorded in the registers.
"If any circumstances occur which prevent a licensee to submit online returns on NDAL-ALIS system referred, the local licensing authority shall be informed immediately in order to establish alternative means to submit the monthly returns," the new Arms Rules say.