'Unarmed' excise cops can buy weapons on own: Govt

Patna: Resentment is brewing among the unarmed excise police officials as the government, instead of providing them arms and ammunition like regular cops has asked them to purchase firearms on their own for security while conducting raids across the state to enforce prohibition.

The role of excise police has undergone a sea change after complete ban on liquor on April 5. Earlier, excise police were focused on revenue generation, now they are performing tasks similar to regular cops for enforcing the ban.

“Excise department’s principal secretary K K Pathak had written a letter to all DMs requesting them to issue arms licence to excise officers if they requested for it, but they would have to purchase arms on their own expense,” said assistant excise commissioner cum public relation officer O P Mandal.

An excise official said arms don’t come cheap. Sources said the starting price of a 12 bore gun is Rs 60,000, which goes up to Rs 1.5 lakh. But the actual market price could be higher due to limited availability. A rifle costs between Rs 55,000 and Rs 80,000, while the price of a revolver produced by Indian Ordnance Factory is around Rs 1.5 lakh due to black marketing. “Indian firearms are heavy and cartridges might misfire if not used within a year, unlike foreign-made cartridges,” said a firearms owner who didn’t want to be identified on condition of anonymity.

Excise Officers Welfare Association president Krishna Kumar, expressing his resentment said the government should provide arms to the excise personnel to perform their duty. Kumar, who is also the assistant excise commissioner of Patna, said excise police are now risking their lives for the enforcement of prohibition. He pointed out that all excise police officers are trained to operate different types of firearms.

“Criminals and smugglers are aggressive while protecting their consignment, but we have to chase them unarmed,” said Araria district excise superintendent Ajay Suman.

Muzaffarpur district excise superintendent Kumar Amit said they would put their demand for being provided arms and ammunition in the next state-level departmental meeting via their association. “We are now fighting against organized crime but are expected to do so empty-handed,” he added.

Siwan excise superintendent Avinash Prakash said, “Nowadays even a pickpocket or a thief keeps a knife with himself.” In the times to come, the situation would become more serious as liquor smuggling has now turned into a lucrative, organized crime. “Excise police would now also deal with hardcore drug peddlers,” Prakash added.
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