Legal action not enough, create jobs to end drug menace: Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said mere legal action wasn’t enough to end the drug menace and that efforts should be supplemented by creating jobs for the youth so that they did not indulge in drug trade to make money.

Advertisement

“Mere implementation of the law and putting those involved in drug trade in jails will not be effective unless we provide employment (to the youth),” he told mediapersons after visiting a de-addiction centre here.

When asked about his views over the problem, Kataria said the huge money involved in the synthetic drug trade was behind the spread of the menace in the state.

“Earlier liquor, poppy husk and opium were considered intoxicants. But then came these synthetic drugs that had huge sum of money involved in their trade,” he said.

“ ‘Big dons’ got involved to make money. They roped in the poor youth by paying them thousands of rupees to supply intoxicants. This money factor led to the spread of the drug menace,” he opined.

He said employment generation could eradicate the menace. Kataria alleged that previous governments did not act against the big fish involved in the trade. “It is for the first time that the government has escalated action against big players by seizing or razing their properties. The government is doing a good job to eradicate the drug menace,” he said referring to the state government’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” drive.

He also stressed the need to create public awareness regarding the issue.“Only efforts of the government cannot end this unless public awareness is created,” he said.