Over-tasked and over-burdened
By Express News Service | Published: 20th November 2017 10:52 PM |
Last Updated: 21st November 2017 07:26 AM | A+A A- |
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In another ten day’s time, the Excise Department will launch its annual Christmas and New Year enforcement drive in the capital to check the inflow of banned drugs and spurious liquor. The department, however, continues to be pathetically understaffed in a district that has been displaying a rising trend in drug abuse among children.
One of the larger districts with a state border as well as a long coastline and tribal regions, Thiruvananthapuram is covered by just 250 Excise officers and personnel of other rank. “The sanctioned strength is 400. But nearly 150 personnel are deployed for administrative work and to man the check-posts. So there are just 250 staff to cover the entire district,’’ sources said.
Understaffed the department might be in the district, but there has been no let-up in work pressure, especially with drug abuse rampant among the young. With the state government launching the ‘Vimukti’ anti-narcotics, anti-liquor campaign, the department’s work has only increased. In recent years, spurious-liquor related cases have come down, but this encouraging trend has a flip side in that drug abuse has shot up.
When contacted, K Chandrapalan, Deputy Excise Commissioner (Thiruvananthapuram), said the department has seized 180 kg of ganja in the past four months in Thiruvananthapuram. “Of this, November alone has accounted for 26 kg of ganja. Again, majority of the seizures have been made at the check posts, proving the banned narcotics are being smuggled in from the neighbouring states,’’ he said. Other banned substances like LSD ‘stamps’ and hashish oil also have been confiscated in raids, but ganja continues to be the ‘beloved’ of the customers here.
So, why ganja?
It is cheaper compared to other banned substances, and is easily available. Also, the customers are on the younger side - Plus One, Plus Two and college students. They don’t have too much money to spend.
The Excise Department is planning to launch its festival season-drive drive after December 1 in the district.
