City police sets deadline to all bankers, cash carry companies to apply for arms licenses

 Flagging the serious threat of illicit weapons & their usage by some  private security firms and their clientele including banks, cash management companies-  identified during the probe of illicit arms racket by commissioner’s task force  -  the City Police Commissioner Mr.CV Anand chaired an interactive  meeting at the auditorium of TSPICCC here on Tuesday to emphasize the importance of comprehensive and inclusive approach amongst all the stake holders and to sensitise them about the prevailing norms.

      The representatives of Banks, Private security agencies, Cash management companies, RBI officials were apprised on the Arms License types, Guidelines given by MHA with regard to arms handling ,PSARA norms  through a power point presentation by Mr.Ramesh, Jt.CP(Administration).              Since banks, cash-carrying companies, gold shops etc., deal with huge volumes of cash & other valuables, they were also informed about the standards that they should look into while hiring security guards through private security agencies  and the RBI norms to be complied with regard to  regard to physical security, transportation arrangements, staff deployment etc.,

The City Police chief Mr.CV Anand in his address sensitised the attendees   on the dangerous implications  of illicit weapons floating in society and urged them to function within the frame work of Law.

                      “Security guards, preferably ex-service men & armed forces, who are  entrusted  with the arms and ammunition for guarding the premises or property of the company should be enrolled as retainers in the arms license applied by the banks, cash-logisitics industry and cautioned that they should not hire armed security guards through any third party agency .” said Mr.Anand.

“Businesses has to function as per rules and Law of the Land.” he stressed while appealing the banks, CMS companies to apply for arms licenses and assured them that the city police will issue the licenses and carry out antecedent verification of the proposed armed guards in the shortest time possible. 

       CP Anand taking lead to resolve the conundrum has opened the floor for discussion which brought many issues to the fore including the engagement of security guards through different levels of payroll, their training & expertise in handling weapons, minimum wages & categorising them under right category of skill level etc., 

    The senior echelons of city police has observed that  the competition among the firms has led to the abysmal level of pay to the armed guards and has a negatively  cascading effect on the whole fulcrum of armed guards requirement in various sectors.   

         With all stakeholders agreeing to comply with norms, the city police has fixed a 2 month timeline and urged all the stake holders  to  expedite the formal process of procuring arms licenses, retainers licenses, purchase of weapons, training of guards in collaboration with ISW and their deployment to the required areas.

Easing the application process for arms license, the city police also shared the list of  documents to be submitted along with the application and provided them application copies at the meeting venue. 

,Addl.CP(L&O), Sri Vikramsingh Mann ; Jt.CP(Admin), Mr.Ramesh;Jt.CP - Special Branch, Mr.Viswa Prasad  and  Mr.Kishan Rao from intelligence department  and other officers attended the meeting.