District Magistrate and Collector, P Dayanand on Thursday asked the licensees to deposit their arms at the nearest police station till enforcement of the model code of conduct for three-phase panchayat election.
Section 144 of CrPC was also invoked for the electionDayanand issued appropriate directions to the officials concerned to ensure that the arms are retrieved from the licensees in Kawardha, Sahaspur lohara, Bodala and Pandariya Janpad Panchayat of the district to ensure peace during the polls.The order should be followed by the license holders, who are living in the district but have obtained license from somewhere else.
The firearm holders will be given a receipt on depositing weapons at the police station. The order has been implemented with immediate effect. The weapons will be returned to owners after the election concludes.The collector also enforced section 144 of CrPC at the aforesaid places. As per order, no person or group of persons will be allowed to carry firearms, weapons or any kind of explosion items at public place as the act will be considered as a punishable offense.
Police, CRPF, SSF and others maintaining law and order situation will be excluded from the order.This apart, the collector has declared 48 hours before voting for civic body polls as a period of dry day.During this, foreign and country made liquor shops will remain shut while a ban will be there on serving liquor at hotel or bar having a Fl3 license.As per the instructions, all liquor shops and hotel bar of Kawardha Municipal Corporation and Pipariya Nagar Panchayat, where voting will be held on December 29, will be shut before 48 hours i.e. from 5pm on December 27.
Similarly, foreign and country made liquor shops and Hotel Bar will be shut from 5pm on December 27 in Pandariya, Bodala, Sahaspur lohara and Pandatarai Nagar Panchayat, where voting will be held on December 31.This apart, the collector has declared dry day on January 4, when results will be declared after vote counting for Civic Body Polls.