Will act against cops involved in drug trade: Goa CM

PORVORIM: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday asked legislators to give him confidential letters with information on people involved in the drug trade in their respective constituencies. Assuring action, he added that if Goa police personnel are involved in it, strict action would be taken against them.
The chief minister said that there is no drug mafia operating in the state, but that Goans are exploited by “drug suppliers”.
“I will not let anyone (get) involved in the drug trade,” he said. “Give me the names of persons, I will act against them.” Sawant’s move to get information from MLAs follows a similar one by his predecessor, Manohar Parrikar, who attempted a similar strategy when he was chief minister of the state.
Sawant has been under fire for blaming parents for students in educational institutions getting hooked on to drugs. TOI had first reported on July 16 how drugs are freely available in the corridors of the state’s educational institutions.
“Not only foreigners, but Indian and Goan youth are involved in drugs and they are in the age group of 20-35 years,” he said, adding that the education department should be serious about tackling the issue. “Parents should take responsibility to see that what their children are doing. For a little money, youths are getting into drug peddling.”
But Sawant said that the drugs issue hasn’t cropped up now but has been going on for a while. He said that Goa police investigations so far haven’t revealed any “big player” in Goa, adding that ganja and charas are the main drugs seized in the state.
Sawant was replying to leader of opposition Digambar Kamar, who said that drugs is a serious issue. Sawant said that detection rate has gone up thanks to the good work by the ANC. The CM added that he would direct the police to destroy seized drugs every six months.
Sawant said that the year 2017 saw 168 cases booked and 137 cases filed in court. In 2018, 222 cases were booked and 151 filed in court. So far in 2019, the CM said, 114 cases have been registered and six have been filed in court.
He also said that Goa police has seized drugs worth Rs 1.54 crore and it is in police custody. He added that in the past two years, (seized) drugs have not been disposed. He added that when drugs are disposed, proper video recording is done and it is done at the Goa Medical College (GMC).
Sawant said except one case of drugs being grown in the state, there are no instances of drugs being grown in Goa. The CM also said that the news about drugs being grown in neighbouring state was probed by Goa police, who didn’t find anything.
He also said that drugs seized from Goans are “consumable quantity”, and in a few days, they’re released on bail.
Meanwhile, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said that he submitted confidential letters to Parrikar about people involved in the drug trade. “What action has been taken regarding those letters, and if it hasn’t, what action will the government take,” he asked.