Sirsa, Hisar villagers wake up to threat of ‘chitta’

Deepender Deswal

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Tribune News Service

Hisar, July 18

The drive against drug addiction is gaining momentum in Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts as villagers are concerned about the youth getting addicted to “chitta” and other drugs.

After residents of Hisar’s Kajla Heri village took up cudgels against drug peddlers and addicts, people in neighbouring villages have also sensed the gravity of the situation and started a campaign against drugs.

On Tuesday, residents of Sirsa’s Kuruganwali village under the Rori police station held a meeting with the police to devise ways to tackle the problem. The police assured villagers of cracking down on drug peddlers active in the village.

Kuruganwali village sarpanch Jaspal Singh said the situation had turned grave in the past six months as about 30 to 40 youths, mostly teenagers and school students, had taken to “chitta”.

“We came to know that some villagers have been supplying ‘chitta’ in the village. Recently, a few posters surfaced in the village carrying names of five drug peddlers. I cannot verify who pasted the posters,” he said.

Jaspal Singh further said he and other villagers they went door to door in villages having a population of 4,000, urging parents to keep a watch on their children and educate them about the ill-effects of drugs.

In the meeting, the Kuruganwali village panchayat demanded crack down on drug peddlers and submitted a memorandum to the police.

“I sensed that the police are not serious on the matter,” the sarpanch said, adding villagers had vowed not to support the bail application of villagers arrested for drug peddling.

Rori police station incharge Raj Kumar who attended the Tuesday’s meeting said they had launched a campaign against drugs and would take action against persons suspected to be involved in drug peddling.

The panchayat of Adampur Mandi in Hisar district also decided not to support the bail application village residents arrested for selling drugs or illicit liquor. Sarpanch Atar Singh said the spread of illicit liquor and drugs had led to a spurt in the crime against women, thefts and snatchings.

The right step 

The panchayats of Hisar’s Adampur Mandi village and Sirsa’s Kuruganwali village have decided not to support the bail application of village residents arrested for selling drugs or illicit liquor.