DIG urges teachers to hold seminars to educate students on ill-effects of drug addiction

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Gurdaspur, July 10

DIG (Border) Rakesh Kaushal’s attempt to involve civil society activists to fight the scourge of drugs, particularly heroin, bore fruit as he presided over a packed house of parents and other stakeholders concerned at a meeting held in the Police Lines.

Almost all officials of Gurdaspur police district, including SSP Harish Dayama, were present at the meeting.

The battle against drugs in this border district is in full swing with cops identifying and subsequently raiding houses and other hideouts of smugglers. Last month, three young men were found dead after they injected an overdose of heroin in Deeda Sansian village, notorious for selling drugs. This development had triggered a series of raids in which substantial quantities of heroin were recovered from Deeda Sansian and its adjoining villages falling in Dinanagar police district.

DIG Kaushal said some residents told him that committees comprising local residents and police officials should be formed to check the sale of heroin in narrow alleys. “When we raid a house located in a narrow street, smugglers invariably escape taking the advantage of the local conditions. Now, we plan to involve residents of those areas to make sure smugglers do not escape through narrow streets,” said an anti-drug enforcement official.

This is the third meeting the DIG has presided over in the last one week. The problem of consumption of drugs is all the more pronounced in this border district because of the Pakistani drones which drop contraband in villages located near the international border. This contraband is later brought and distributed in Gurdaspur city and its satellite towns. The DIG exhorted Principals and teachers of schools to hold seminars to educate students of the ill-effects of drugs.

During the meeting, Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vishesh Sarangal delivered a passionate speech in which he urged parents to double their efforts to ensure that their children do not fall prey to drugs. He also urged school heads to make sure drugs were not sold in the vicinity of their institutions.

Romesh Majahan, Project Director, Red Cross De-addiction Centre, urged the state government to ease the supply of Buprenorphine tablets which were used to treat addicts. “My centre is full of young people wanting to let-go of the habit of heroin consumption. However, I have my hands tied behind my back as Buprenorphine is not available. I have requested the Health Department several times to ensure that the supply of tablets should not be regulated and instead it should be given freely to de-addiction centres,” said Mahajan.