To check pilferage of weapons from the Central Ordnance Depots or other such stores, the Union Home Ministry has asked the Central paramilitary forces and the police forces in the States and the Union Territories to ensure speedy audit and stock verification of their armoury and to destroy all old and condemned weapons through melting after following procedures prescribed in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the subject.
The move comes after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation has revealed that the weapons/parts are stolen in cannibalised form from the stores with connivance of working and retired staff and are assembled outside as complete weapons. “Such weapons might finally reach the criminals and anti-national elements. Therefore, it has been directed to issue instructions to all States/ CAPFs to conduct a detailed audit/stock verification of their armoury to ensure that the weapons on the inventory of all depots are checked and the probability of their pilferage is minimised and eventually removed. Similarly, for checking the pilferage of parts of old and condemned arms, it is necessary that such weapons are destroyed through melting,” reads the communication sent to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) or paramilitary forces and police chiefs of all the States and UTs.
The Union Home Ministry had formulated an SOP and circulated to the CAPFs, States and Union Territories for adoption through a letter on December 4, 2018. A detailed procedure has been laid down in the SOP for declaring the weapons and their associated accessories and spare parts and ammunition which are of no use to the Force as to avoid any pilferage by anti-national elements.
“All CAPFs are accordingly requested to ensure speedy audit and stock verification of their armoury and to destroy all old and condemned weapons through melting after following due procedures as prescribed in the SOP issued by MHA. An action Taken Report in this regard may be submitted to MHA within 60 days from the issue of this letter,” reads the recent communication.
Additional Secretary (Home), Principal Secretary (Home), Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police of all States/UTs have also been directed to conduct expeditious audit and stock verification of their respective armoury and destroy the old, obsolete, unserviceable and condemned weapons through melting.
After continuous use for over a period of time, all weapons used by police or paramilitary forces become unserviceable or obsolete and are no more of use to these forces.
“In order to ensure effective inventory management with respect to the weapons and their associated accessories and spare parts and ammunition held by the CAPFs/SPOs, being the controlled stores of security nature and to avoid any pilferage/misuse by anti-social elements, the requirement of an unambiguous procedure for declaring the weapons and their associated accessories and spare parts and ammunition which are of no use to the Forces as unserviceable/obsolete and their disposal thereof,” according to the SOP for declaration of weapons and their associated accessories as condemned and their proper disposal.