The Himachal Government has exempted the Forest Department to keep weapons — pistols, guns, revolvers and rifles — to curb the menace of smuggling and for the raids during illicit felling in its forest circles adjoining Punjab, J&K, Uttarakhand and Haryana.
A spokesperson of the State Government on Thursday said that this has been done keeping in view that smugglers involved in these incidences are equipped with modern weapons, whereas the forest personnel were without weapons.
He said that Bilaspur, Dharamshala and Hamirpur Forest Circles had been allowed to keep weapons besides Forest Divisions including Nalagarh, Nurpur and Una whereas Forest Ranges including Nalagarh, Baddi, Indora, Rey, Una, Amb and Bharwain had also been allowed weapons.
"The arms and ammunition purchased by the Forest Department would be kept in safe custody and would also maintain a register of ammunition. Every cartridge or bullet used by them would be accounted for and entered in the register by recording reasons and details of purpose for which it was used," the spokesperson said.
He said that the arms and ammunition would be given to the Forest Ranges by an authorised officer to do so and on completion of the task would be handed over back to the officer concerned.