Media Release

Mangalore, Nov 1: The Dakshina Kannada District Rifle Association (DKDRA), along with the D K district police, concluded its first Civilian Rifle Training Course in Mangalore on Sunday October 31, by conducting a firing test for its 111 participants. The participants hailed from various places located in Puttur and Sullia taluks of the district. The number of participants is the highest ever, DKDRA said in a media release.

It may be recalled that in September 2010, the DKDRA was created under the chairmanship of the district superintendent of police (SP). After its constitution, this was the first such course taken up by the association. The course was started on October 23, by pooling participants from Puttur and Sullia Taluks, duly calling for applications for the same. A total of 111 participants were finally short listed after scrutiny of all the applications. After a week’s training in handling of weapons, all the participants were given the firing test on the 0.22 Bolt Action Rifle at the Mudushedde Police Firing Range in the city on Sunday.

After successful completion of the test, certificates were issued to the participants by the SP, Dr A Subrahmanyeshwar Rao. Addressing the participants, he revealed that this was more an exercise towards building police-public relationship rather than making civilians experts in the use of weapons. He called upon the participants to make efforts to understand the policeman better and also to carry this positive message to the general public. He also informed that the DKDRA would, in the coming months, acquire a set of sports rifles and also that it has plans to open an indoor shooting range to train the youngsters in rifle shooting, especially in the backdrop of the country doing very well in this category in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games.