In Bathinda, Army fatigues sold to anyone, no questions asked

Bathinda: Even as security forces were fighting to neutralize the remaining terrorists holed up at Pathankot air base on the second day of the attack on Sunday, 247 km away in Bathinda, shopkeepers in the vicinity of the Cantonment continued to merrily sell Army uniforms, no questions asked.
A set of the uniform was available on demand for anything between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 at half-a-dozen shops at Bibiwala roundabout, near Bathinda Cantonment.Trousers and shirt with 'Indian Army' logo were available for Rs 400 each and a cap inscribed with Indian Army for Rs. 50.
Though some of the shopkeepers have permits to deal in Army uniforms, sources said most don't bother to check whether the fatigues were being sold to authorized defense personnel. A decoy found that while some shopkeepers were ready to sell an Army outfit for Rs 800 without even asking for any identity card, some got suspicious and declined to show their merchandise.
All this in the backdrop of many incidents in border states of terrorists dressed in Army fatigues attacking and killing innocent people. The armed militants who carried out the attack on a Gurdaspur police station this July too had walked the streets of the district in Army dungarees. In 2014, terrorists dressed in combat uniform stopped a vehicle in Samba, near Jammu, and killed innocent persons before getting into a firefight with troops at an Army camp.
Sources say the district administration in all border states issue public notices banning sale of combat uniforms to non-Army personnel from time to time but shopkeepers ignore the guidelines to make a fast buck and the authorities are not diligent in enforcing the ban.
Specified shops and hawkers can sell combat uniform to Army personnel after they furnish their identity card. However, in case of the olive green dress, only two private manufacturers besides Ordnance Factory Board are authorised to produce the special cloth and uniform. But defence personnel prefer to got to shops selling uniforms made by private manufacturers, as those stitched by the Board don't fit well.
Bathinda senior superintendent of police Swapan Sharma said the issue was under the domain of civil administration. "Police will check that no shopkeeper sells the Army outfits illegally."
Bathinda DC Basant Garg said, "The administration has clamped orders u/s 144 of CrPC against selling and purchase of Army fatigues by unauthorised persons. I am writing to police to check this."
Jalandhar deputy commissioner of police also issued prohibitory orders against sale or stitching of uniforms of military, paramilitary or police forces without properly ensuring the identity of buyers.