Overview

• The state government will inaugurate an online portal between August 1 and 7 for indigenous residents to apply for arms licences
• Only individual applicants from Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara-Mankachar and Goalpara are eligible under the scheme, which excludes borders with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
• Deputy Commissioners in each district will conduct enquiries to verify applicants’ credentials before licences are granted
• The portal rollout follows the state’s eviction operations against alleged illegal settlers in forest and wetland areas to address demographic and security concerns
• Assam Congress and other opposition figures have denounced the policy as potentially risky and politically timed ahead of the 2026 assembly elections