Panaji, April 9 (IANS) As many as 240 people, including top politicians, policemen, mine owners and businessmen, have been granted arms licences in Goa over the last three years, the state assembly has been informed.

According to information tabled by the home ministry during the budget session Friday, former governor S.C. Jamir was granted an arms licence for his single barrel muzzle loading (SBML) gun which the former chief minister of Nagaland intends to use for self-protection.

Revenue Minister Jose Phillip D'Souza and Tourism Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar were also granted arms licences for self-protection.

Mine owner Narayan Bandekar, who runs the NRB group of companies, has been given a licence for his pistol, along with Suhan Karkal, who is the brother-in-law of Srinivas Dempo, the erstwhile promoter of Goa's biggest mining outfits.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Chandrakant Salgaonkar and DSP Naresh Mhamal, who have been investigating the high profile police politician drug mafia nexus, have also been granted arms licences.

Hoteliers and casino operators namely Narinder Punj, who operates India's biggest offshore casino Casino Royale, and general managers of the Taj Holiday village and Fort Aguada beach resort -- Vishal Singh and Rajeev Khanna, have also been granted licences.

Interestingly, the state home department has denied arms licences to 11 personnel from the defence forces in the three year period, including a commandant with the Indian Coast Guard Atul Kumar Saxena, citing that the "request of the applicant is not genuine" and that the respective superintendent of police has not formally recommended the same.