Bhubaneswar, March 25: Trigger-happy criminals open fire at the drop of a hat, but the men in khaki attached to various police stations in the city have not had any shooting practice since 2013.

Not just constables, assistant sub-inspectors and sub-inspectors, even inspectors in charge of various police stations have not had a single shooting practice session in the past two years. Sources in the commissionerate said officers in Bhubaneswar had last attended a firing practice session in January 2013.

A senior police official said that though it was mandatory for police personnel to attend firing practice once a year, heavy workload had prevented them from doing so.

"Though police officials should have regular firing practice, increased workload resulting from manpower crunch has emerged as a hindrance," he said.

Another reason behind disruption of the shooting practice sessions is the closure of the firing range at Khurda hills with the campus of an educational institute coming up at the place.

The other two firing ranges near Bhubaneswar are located at Mundali in Cuttack district and that of the Special Operation Group near Barang on the city outskirts.

The reserve office prepares a list of programmes for firing practice and sends it for the approval of the deputy commissioner of police - which further notifies the same to the concerned police stations.

"Concerned police stations are allotted certain days for firing practice as all the personnel of the police station may not appear on a single day due to various duties, including investigation," said a police official.

Senior police officials, including the inspectors, are supposed to practise at these ranges with assault weapons such as Insas rifles, light machine guns and AK-47s. Police officials in other districts are also supposed to hone their skills in using 9mm pistol, while the constables practise with .303 rifles. During practice, they are supposed to hit the target from distances ranging between 10 metres to 30 metres either standing or with knees bent.

"According to the service manual, police officials failing to clear the firing tests frequently can have their increments withheld. The police need to have its own firing range for the convenience of its personnel," said a senior police official.

The significance of firing practice for police officials in the city assumes significance, as there is increasing evidence of gangsters using arms in the city.

In Bhubaneswar, the police had seized 19 and 18 firearms in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The number of seizures went up to 25 in 2013 and increased to 56 the next year. However luckily, no policemen have been injured in encounters with criminals in the past two years.

"Firearms such as 9mm pistols are easily smuggled into the city from neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand. With proliferation of arms, even petty criminals are opening fire at the slightest provocation. So, police officials in Bhubaneswar must get adequate firing practice," said a police official.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said police personnel would be sent for firing practice after the ongoing Assembly session.

"We will do it in a phased manner keeping the workload of police stations in mind. We will ensure that the police personnel attend firing practice at least once every year," said Bhoi.