New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday changed provisions to increase the annual fire arms production calibre-wise and allowed the manufacturers to enhance their annual production of licensed capacity by giving intimation to the licensing authority and also to state governments within 90 days from the end of the present financial year.

According to the revised rule called the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2022 notified on Thursday by the ministry, "No further endorsement on the licence as to capacity shall be required."

Rule 60A of the amended Arms Rules mentions that "the new manufacturer who has been issued a licence in Form VII under these rules may apply for enhancement or restoration or re-fixation or calibre-wise revision of his licensed capacity and the provisions of rule 60 shall apply mutatis mutandis to such manufacturers".

According to Rule 60B, which enhances the annual production, "The manufacturer who has been issued a licence in Form VII under these rules shall be permitted to have enhanced annual production of firearms or ammunition or calibre wise revision of his licensed capacity by giving intimation to the licensing authority and also to the state government concerned within 90 days from the end of the financial year and for which no further endorsement on the licence as to capacity shall be required."

However, it is also directed that manufacturers shall establish online electronic connectivity under its user ID with the National Data Base of Arms Licence (NDAL-ALIS) system of the Central government and provide for a monthly electronic online transfer of data regarding firearms manufactured and sold or transferred, and ammunition manufactured, sold, transferred or consumed for the month, as recorded in the registers.