Raigarh. As soon as the election schedule of Chhattisgarh Lok Sabha Elections-2024 was announced, the Model Code of Conduct has become effective in the district. Collector and District Election Officer Karthikeya Goyal collected deposits from firearms licensees in the entire area under Raigarh district for a limited period to ensure peaceful and fair elections of Lok Sabha Elections-2024 and for the protection of public peace and safety of the common man. Instructions have been given to get it done, so that there is no atmosphere of fear and terror during the election process and possible misuse of these weapons can be prevented.
Collector and District Election Officer Karthikeya Goyal, under the section of the Arms Act, has ordered all the arms licensees living in the entire area under Raigarh district to deposit their firearms in the nearest police station within 07 days. Additional licensees can also deposit their weapons at related arms dealers who have a license to deposit weapons. The person who deposits arms with the arms dealer will also provide information about the same to the concerned police station. The concerned arms dealer will prepare police station wise information and submit it to the concerned police station and District Magistrate office.
This order will be applicable to all the licensees residing in the district and also to the licensees coming from outside the district. All licensees will be able to get their weapons back after the code of conduct ends. According to the decision taken by the District Committee constituted for this purpose, this order applies to the security guards of all recognized banks/security guards of financial institutions, persons holding constitutional posts, National Rifle Association and District Rifle Association and industrial institutions, educational institutions of this district. And the security guards deployed for the protection of important government institutions will remain free. After considering the application of the license holder, the decision regarding exempting him from this order or not can be taken by the committee after considering the license holder’s application, for whom it is very important to have a weapon for security purposes. Applications to be given to the District Committee can be given in the License Branch in Room No. 33 of Collectorate, Raigarh. All those licensees, who have been exempted from this order, will also have to give information about their weapons to the concerned police station immediately and will not be able to take their weapons outside the boundary area of their premises without the permission of the police station in-charge. . Arms licenses of arms licensees living within Raigarh district border area have been suspended from March 16, 2024, till the end of the election process (Lok Sabha Elections 2024).
The concerned police station in-charge and the concerned arms dealer will ensure that the weapons deposited in this way will be properly registered and the weapons deposited will be recorded in it and will give acknowledgment in this regard to those depositing the weapons. They will keep the deposited weapons properly safe in their custody and will ensure to return the weapons to the concerned licensees within a week after the completion of the election process.
