Verma new SP of Nurpur police district, vows to fight drug trafficking, illegal

Kulbhushan Verma, an HPS officer, took charge as the new SP of Nurpur police district here yesterday. He said that to intensify the ongoing drive against drug trafficking and illegal mining in this interstate border area would be his top priority, besides curbing crime and traffic management.

Verma convened a meeting with district police officials, in-charges of police stations and chowkis today. He later interacted with mediapersons in his office and listed his priorities. He said that to tighten the noose around notorious and habitual drug smugglers, he would emphasise on taking action against them under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic (PIT) and the NDPS Act and conduct a financial investigation of the offenders.

He said that this drive would be undertaken with active community participation. The district police would also launch a special campaign in educational institutions and gram panchayats to sensitise the youth and villagers about drug addiction.

Verma said that the police would target illegal mining being undertaken with heavy machinery and educate local people, who were allowing miners to extract minerals from their land, that they were equally responsible for illegal mining activities in this region. “I will also work to identify and conduct the demarcation of boundaries of the interstate Chakki rivulet in coordination with the district revenue administration and the Pathankot district administration in neighboring Punjab so that we can take action against those miners who are indulging in illegal mining on the riverbed on the pretext of un-demarcated boundary of the rivulet,” he added.

The SP said that he would also work out a plan for easing frequent traffic jams on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway at Jassur and Nurpur and remove bottlenecks in Nurpur town by identifying and notifying parking spots in collaboration with the local Municipal Council.