Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 2 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing the sixth State-level meeting of the Narcotics Coordination Centre (NCORD) in Dharamshala, today directed the officials to further intensify and streamline the ongoing campaign against drugs so that chitta and all other narcotic substances can be eliminated from the State completely, said a release from CMO.
Representatives from various central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Postal Department and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), also attended the meeting besides officers and officials of the State Government.
CM Sukhu said, "Special deployment of CID and Police personnel has been made in 234 Panchayats of the state, which are highly sensitive to drugs."
He directed the Deputy Commissioners to constitute Anti-Drug Committees in these Panchayats and instructed NCORD to conduct regular meetings in every district in the state. Besides, the Chief Minister also urged youth, people, Mahila Mandals, representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and other voluntary organisations to actively contribute to making the State drug-free.
The Chief Minister directed the district administrations to identify properties acquired through the drug trade and submit their reports to the government by December 10. These properties would be demolished, and those involved would be strictly punished. He disclosed that 60 government employees, including 15 police personnel, were found involved in chitta trafficking. While five have already been dismissed, legal action is underway against the others.
He further directed the officials to submit details of all the government employees involved in drug trafficking by December 10. He said that Anti-Chitta Walkathons would soon be organised at district and sub-division levels as well.
The Chief Minister said, "The government was not only ensuring strict enforcement but was also strengthening the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation mechanisms for individuals used to and affected by drug abuse. Drug testing has been made mandatory for all government recruitments. Anti-Drug Clubs, Prahari Clubs and peer education programmes are being made more active in schools and colleges. Strict surveillance is being maintained on cannabis cultivation, and pharma units are being thoroughly inspected. The Prosecution Directorate has been directed to expedite appeals in NDPS cases, review acquittals and improve conviction rates."
He said that parameters related to supply, demand and harm reduction under drug control will now be included in the ACRs of officers.
Sukhu said that the Government was launching a "Chitta Information Reward Scheme" to turn the Anti-Chitta campaign into a mass movement. Under this scheme, informants providing credible information on chitta will receive a reward ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 10 lakh.
"Information can be given by calling 112 or by contacting the nearest police station, and rewards will be disbursed within 30 days," he added.
CM Sukhu appealed to citizens to extend active cooperation in eradicating the menace of chitta.
The Chief Minister said that the present Government was giving top priority to the safety of youth. Over the last three years, 5,642 NDPS cases have been registered, an increase of 28 per cent, with 8,216 arrests and the seizure of 36.657 kg of chitta, reflecting strong police action. The PIT-NDPS Act has been implemented, 46 notorious traffickers have been detained, and illegal assets worth Rs. 48 crore have been confiscated.
He said that the State was the first in the country to classify Panchayats into red, yellow and green categories and had identified 12,000 individuals under this model, which was now being recognised nationally as exemplary.
During the Statewide Naka operations held on November 17 and 18, as many as 16,441 vehicles were checked, 13 NDPS cases were registered, and a large quantity of narcotics were seized. On November 22, simultaneous raids were conducted at 121 locations, which delivered a decisive blow to ten major trafficking networks.
Further, on November 25, a special operation was carried out around educational institutions, under which 41 campuses and 598 shops were inspected, in which 12 cases were registered, and 385 challans were issued.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Shyam Bhagat Negi, DGP Ashok Tiwari, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Secretaries M. Sudha Devi, Rakesh Kanwar and Sushil Kumar Singla, along with other senior officers, attended the meeting. Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police from all districts also joined the meeting virtually.