Four months on, Arjun waits for new rifle to be added to licence

Pune: In the year when shooters across the world are preparing for important events that will offer Los Angeles Games quota berths, Arjun Babuta is waiting for his rifle to be added to his licence.The Punjab shooter, who had finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, told TOI that he has been waiting for his new rifle to be added to his license since Nov last year, a process all shooters have to complete before they can import a new rifle. The process normally takes around 15-20 days.“Last October, I purchased the rifle from Germany and had applied for the additional process in November. It has been four months since and I am still waiting. I have gone to the Mohali police department office four times from Delhi on my rest days, but I haven’t yet got any reply,” Arjun told TOI.“This process takes 15-20 days as it took previously. I can’t import the new rifle unless it is added to my license. Once it gets added, it will take almost 45 days more for the rifle manufacturer to send it to me,” he said.“I feel harassed and desperate. This is an important year, as I have competitions and trials every month. Such delays will only push my preparations off track,” Arjun said, “After four months, I now feel it is not worth it. Why am I even working so hard if authorities in my own state don’t care.”When TOI contacted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohali, Harman Singh Hans, he said it was difficult for him to keep track of such applications.“We get thousands of such applications every day, how are we supposed to keep track of individual cases,” Hans told TOI.When told that the applicant was a fourth- place finisher at the Olympics, Hans said, “He should have contacted me, I would have done something.”But Arjun said that he had met Hans two weeks back on Feb 13, and the officer had acknowledged having received the file.“I don’t remember the meeting, but if I had told him that it will get cleared, then he should wait for some time, it will get cleared,” Hans said.The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) secretary general Pawan Singh said such cases derail the efforts taken by many departments.“The Ministry of Home Affairs through their notification (CG-DL-E-12022020-216102) have already eased licensing norms for athletes, but it is not implemented at the ground level. So, I would request the ministry to look into it by sensitizing all the stakeholders and request them to help the athletes,” Singh said.“The NRAI, along with the Govt of India, various state federations and other stakeholders, are trying to take the sport to newer heights. Shooting has been recognized as a high-priority sport by the Ministry of sports, but such incidents pose as hurdles in the growth of the sport and efforts put by various organizations,” he added.