Drug abuse a cause for concern, say MLAs

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 12

The issue of the increasing drug abuse among the youth was debated in the House with most legislators expressing concern about it.

Some legislators said earlier people were concerned about ‘Udta Punjab’, but now they were wary of ‘Udta Himachal’. They urged the government to launch a war against drugs.

The debate was initiated by BJP MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania. He said drug peddlers had a free sway in border areas of Kangra district. More youths were taking to synthetic drugs.

He said inadequate police force in the border areas was hampering the anti-narcotic operations. While in Punjab’s Pathankot district, the police strength was about 1,900, in Nurpur and Indora, the worst-affected by drug abuse, there were just 66 officials. They were ill-equipped for anti-narcotic operations.

Pathania alleged that recently, a case was reported in which a drug peddler had stuffed narcotics in his rectum in Indora. Though the drug abuse was increasing, the state did not have de-addiction centres to handle the addicts, Pathania said.

Balbir Singh, BJP MLA from Chintpurni, alleged that the drug peddlers had political patronage during the stint of the previous Congress government. Quoting cases, he said a tea shop owner in Amb used to sell drugs. He was caught by the police but the case was weakened so that he got bail and continued his operations. He also blamed former CM Virbhadra Singh and CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri of shielding drug peddlers.

Bikram Singh Jarial, BJP MLA from Bhattiyat in Chamba district, claimed liquor was being sold openly in tea shops.

Narendra Thakur, BJP MLA from Hamirpur, said now ‘Udta Himachal’ was also becoming a reality.

He also expressed concern that 500 kg charas of the 4,000 kg produced in the country was produced in Himachal.

Rita Dhiman, BJP MLA from Indora, said a rivulet along a private university in her constituency was filled with wrappers of psychotropic drugs.

CM Jai Ram Thakur listed various steps taken by the government against drug peddling.

Cops’ shortage to blame

• The debate was initiated by BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania
• He said drug peddlers had a free run in border areas of Kangra district
• More youths were taking to synthetic drugs
• Inadequate police force in the border areas was hampering the anti-narcotic operations
• Rita Dhiman, BJP MLA from Indora, said even the girls were taking to drugs
• Wrappers of psychotropic drugs were often found in the rivulet along a private university in her constituency