DAOs across the country are required to submit details of registered weapons in their respective districts to the MoHA voluntarily by the end of every fiscal.[break]
A copy of the weaponry details prepared on mid-July 2010 by MoHA and obtained by Republica states not only remotely-situated districts like Manang, Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu and Dolpa but districts like Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur have also not submitted their reports so far.
Likewise, Tarai districts, including Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Dang and Banke have also not submitted the details.
The government permits citizens to keep weapons of four categories --12-bore gun, 22-bore rifle, homemade and air gun -- for personal security after accessing the requirements. It stopped granting license for small weapons like pistol and revolver since 1996 when the Maoist insurgency began.
MoHA Spokesperson Jaya Mukunda Khanal said the ministry has been doing a follow up on its requests. “Let´s hope the details will arrive soon,” Khanal told Republica.
Ratna Raj Pandey, chief district officer of Lalitpur, said the DAO has maintained an up-to-date record of registered weapons in the district. “We can provide such details without delay if authority concerned makes a formal request,” Pandey told Republica.
11,053 weapons in total
According to the MoHA data, 11,053 weapons were registered in 33 districts until mid-July, 2010. Of them, 4,554 are 12-bore guns, 1084 22-bore rifles, 4955 homemade guns, 134 air guns, 87 pistols and 53 revolvers. Similarly, number of uncategorized weapons is 186.
While Kaski has the largest number of weapons (1,459), Nuwakot possesses least number of weapons (12). Kapilvastu, Sankhuwasabha and Kailali are the second, third and fourth largest weapon-possessing districts with 1,079, 1,040 and 1,016 weapons respectively.
Top five possessors of small arms are Parbat, Kailali, Kapilvastu, Saptari and Kanchanpur districts and they respectively have 37, 26, 21, 16 and 9 such arms. Of the total 140, these five districts have 109 small arms.
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