Grievance panel tells minister Sangrur cops ‘aiding’ peddlers

SANGRUR:Punjab Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana and the Sangrur police top officials had to encounter an embarrassing situation at a meeting of the district grievances redressal committee here today as panel members accused the police of being hand in glove with the drug mafia.

Razia Sultana, Punjab Cabinet Minister

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 9

Punjab Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana and the Sangrur police top officials had to encounter an embarrassing situation at a meeting of the district grievances redressal committee here today as panel members accused the police of being hand in glove with the drug mafia.

Bhup Singh Channo, CPM district secretary and committee member, alleged that the police had turned a blind eye to the open sale of drugs in several villages. “Some officials posted at the Kalajhar police post are working in connivance with drug smugglers. Whenever anyone gives a tip-off, these policemen not only alert the smugglers, but also reveal to them the identity of the informer,” he said.

Dr Sandeep Garg, SSP, tried to pacify the agitated members by saying he had transferred “suspect” policemen to snap the drug supply chain. He assured the members that if any policeman was found guilty of aiding the drug smugglers, he would face dismissal from service.

Another committee member suggested that police station ‘munshis’ be shifted regularly as “most of them

had proximity to peddlers”. During the last committee meeting on June 18, a Congress leader from Gharachon, Harjinder Singh, had alleged that ‘chitta’ was openly available in his village. A red-faced Sultana sought the help of all committee members and residents to check the menace and also directed the civil and police administration “to do the needful in an effective manner”.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshayam Thori said the district authorities had launched various initiatives to counter the drug mafia. “As many as 58,000 registered volunteers are working under the Drug Abuse Prevention Officers Programme in the district. SDMs and panchayat officers are regularly holding meetings with them and preparing anti-drug strategies,” said Thori.

‘Govt making concerted efforts’

Punjab has constituted an STF to curb the drug menace. Thousands of peddlers have been put behind bars, but what we need is the support of the common man. — Razia Sultana, Punjab Cabinet Minister

21 overdose deaths in seven months

Chandigarh: Twenty-one persons have died due to drug overdose so far this year, Punjab Government has confirmed. In 2018, the count stood at 70. Since April 2017 when Congress govt took over, 95 overdose deaths have been confirmed.