To begin with, the government has ordered the Deputy Commissioners of Muktsar and Faridkot to “immediately end” the practice of forcing all applicants for arms licence to shell out Rs 2,000 and Rs 500, respectively, as “donation” to the Red Cross.

Orders to this effect were issued yesterday by the state Home Department. Sources said the government had received complaints from some applicants about them being forced to pay Rs 2,000 and Rs 500, respectively, as donation to the Red Cross with every application for issuance of an arms licence. An inquiry held by the government established the allegations, following which the government stepped in to put an end to the practice.

“Deputy Commissioners of all districts have also been told to check any such practice,” said a senior government official.

Sources said the decision to effectively check the practice of the DCs allowing and, in some cases, facilitating forcible collection of funds in the name of the Red Cross was taken sometime back by the government. This followed startling facts revealed in information procured by a Ludhiana-based NGO through the Right to Information Act.

In response to the NGOs RTI applications, it came out that the district Red Cross societies in Punjab had been diverting funds for making needless and questionable purchases.

The officer said some more ways adopted by the district administrations to force hapless citizens to fill the coffers of the Red Cross societies are also under examination and the government could soon issue orders to put an end to all such collections.