Affected States should approach Centre for funds, suggests Capt

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder on Monday suggested that all the affected states should approach the Centre for funds for drug prevention.

The funds could be arranged through 21 departments of the Central Government, Capt Amarinder said while addressing the regional Conference on drugs here.

He also stressed the need for a national policy on drugs to regulate and prevent drugs in the country. There must be restrictions on drug plantations and better mechanisms to prevent diversion in the neighbouring States where licit cultivation takes place, he said.

The Punjab Chief Minister also called for an effective sealing and surveillance along the international border and state borders.

He pointed out that heroin is smuggled from Pakistan through IB while other drugs like opium/poppy husk are smuggled from states where licit cultivation is carried out.

Charas and other drugs produced from cannabis are trafficked from Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and even Nepal, Captain Amarinder noted, adding that smack is trafficked from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while instances of poppy and opium smuggling has also been reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Another measure suggested by the Punjab Chief Minister was establishment of effective high-tech inter-state nakas or barriers, with CCTV cameras with internet connectivity, along with narcotics trained dogs and surveillance at railway stations, bus stands etc as the second line of defence.

Capt. Amarinder mooted a regional cooperative framework of the northern states to institutionalise inter-state and inter-agency coordination to deal with the menace of drugs.

“It would help to effectively coordinate, create common database and real sharing of information and intelligence, and undertake joint operations to help counter drug peddlers and break their modus operandi to smuggle drugs,” he said.

He also mooted representation by central agencies, such as BSF, DRI, NCB, RPF, CISF and Customs, which may be asked to designate Senior officers as nodal officers. These meetings should necessarily include these officers, he suggested.

Underlining the need for Joint training of personnel, Captain Amarinder said information and best practices should be shared along with resources for effective training of STF, medical professionals, volunteers etc. NGOs working in this field may also be utilized, he added.

For effective plugging of the international border, the Chief Minister suggested strengthening of BSF presence and intensification of its patrolling by making use of technical gadgets to make its surveillance effective, especially during the night hours or foggy season.

The Punjab Government had written to the MHA to ensure that there is faster rotation of BSF Battalions – deployment is made for shorter durations of 1-2 years instead of 5 years – to ensure that nexus doesn’t develop between officers posted, Pakistani Rangers and drug dealers, he informed the meeting.

Captain Amarinder was also of the view that BSF’s strategy of ‘shoot at sight’ at the international smugglers trying to cross borders from the other side unauthorizedly was a must.

On his own government’s efforts to crack down on drugs, the Chief Minister cited the success of the STF, which had registered 19179 cases under NDPS Act till August 5. As many as 21571 persons have been arrested including some police officials who were abetting such activities, he said, underlining the zero tolerance policy of his government, as evident in the arrest of 23 police personnel, including a deputy SP.

Most drug traffickers have either left the state or have become dormant having lost the patronage of Government, he said, adding that his government had also recommended death penalty to Government of India for even the first offence under NDPS Act.

The Punjab Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property Act 2017, passed by the state assembly, was pending for Presidential Assent, he added.

The Chief Minister also listed out other measures taken by his government, including the Drug Abuse Prevention Officers' (DAPO) Programme and the recently launched Buddy Programme.

He also cited the success of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics, which had so far treated 26000 addicts, with an OPD footfall of more than 5.3 Lakh.