RFI offers to supply rifles to police, paramilitary

Kolkata: State-run Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI) is planning to launch its offer later this year to supply a variety of its top-line weapons, including assault rifles to the state police forces and para-military forces in its renewed effort to increase the sale of its products.

According to sources, the launch for the offer is expected to be held around September-October.

The century-old facility in North 24 Parganas is now waiting for permission from the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) under the defence ministry for its plan, sources revealed adding that the RFI will send proforma invoice to the interested police forces for their requirements.

Last week a superintendent of police-rank officer of Greyhounds, the elite counter-naxalite force in Telangana, contacted the RFI top brass to inquire about the latest weapons to meet its demand, sources disclosed. The list of weapons on the offer includes 7.62x51-mm automatic assault rifle which is priced around '80,000-82,000 each.

The RFI produced the 7.62x51-mm automatic assault rifle in a record time of six months in 2017. Sources indicated that another key product on the offer will be sniper rifles which were supplied to the Kolkata Police for its combat force.

Meanwhile, the RFI has embarked upon a major clean-up drive on its premises by melting the abandoned weapons, now antique, and its parts which had been lying dumped in its three large godowns for several decades.

Its move came after the special task force of the city police busted an arms smuggling racket in which parts of the old weapons were illegally passed out from the godowns for the miscreants in Bihar and other neighbouring states.

RFI general manager D. K. Mahapatra informed that around 186 tonnes of rejected barrels were melted while 230 tonnes of different components of weapons were melted. Both the varieties underwent melting at Metal and Steel Factory, another OFB unit over the past six months.

Mr Mahaptra said that another around 350 tonnes of scrapped materials which are not directly linked with weapons were auctioned through Metal Scrap Trade Corporation, a PSU company. He added, “With the factory being cleared, there is no chance of pilferage now.”