After expanding and strengthening the activities of the Rifle Association, the Government plans to allocate more funds to it, says the Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
"The government is really determined to strengthen the organization financially as well, once the development and operational plans have been clearly laid out and developed", - on Tuesday The Seimas the Head of the Government told journalists before the Seimas voted on the adoption of the new Law on the Riflemen's Union.
She herself took the oath of the shooter on March 11 of this year.
According to the Head of the Government, this law will make it possible to strengthen the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, so that everyone who wants to can find their place in the defense of the state through it.
"If we have a great ambition, and we have it, to get more people involved in the Sagittarius Union than there are now, it is obvious that now there is less attention than there should be to this development and finding a place for the Sagittarius Union in our social life," asserted I. Šimonytė.
According to her, there is a misconception in the society that the shooters are almost a military organization.
"But in a completely sober assessment of the situation, there is a small part of combat shooters who would be in the structure of the army in the event of a state of war, in the Union of Shooters. The greater part are people who would perform or choose to perform other functions, be it medical or curfew or unarmed resistance activities," said the Prime Minister.
According to her, the organization needs to be strengthened so that it is attractive to such people not only during the swearing-in, but also afterwards.
"It is obvious that we would not like people who just sit on the sofa and pay the membership fee, but people who know their place in state defense, let alone in unarmed resistance, and can quickly find it," said I. Šimonytė.
Seimas on Tuesday, plans to adopt a new version of the Law on the Union of Riflemen, which provides for an updated model of the organization - new types of riflemen, the organization's role in the state's armed defense and civil resistance.
According to the project, a training center would be established to strengthen the training of shooters.
In addition, it is proposed to change the subordination of the Sagittarius Union. Now the Minister of National Defense appoints the head of the organization and approves its statute, and according to the project, the Government would do this.
Another innovation is that the Government would form a Council for the Coordination of Activities of the Lithuanian Rifle Association, which would perform advisory functions. It would solve the organization's strategic issues, evaluate its activities, provide recommendations and suggestions.
Currently, the Lithuanian Rifle Association has about 13 members. members. It is expected that the organization will grow to 50 people after the changes and increased funding. members.
The author is Jūratė Skärytė
