Himachal govt to adopt zero-tolerance policy against drugs: CM Sukhu
Sukhusaid, “The government will take strict action within a month against the Himachal Pradesh government officials and employees found involved in drug smuggling”.
Himachal government officials and employees involved in drug smuggling will be punished within a month. This was stated by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Himachal Pradesh assembly on Thursday while announcing “to adopt zero tolerance policy” against drug abuse in the state.
He said, “The government will take strict action within a month against the Himachal Pradesh government officials and employees found involved in drug smuggling”. Talking of efforts being made to break the nexus between officials and drug suppliers, Sukhu said, “The government will also take strict action against the state government employees who provide secret information to the drug smugglers”.
The chief minister was speaking in response to a discussion on a resolution brought by Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania in the Assembly on Thursday regarding the elimination of drugs and making a permanent policy against it.
Earlier, while responding to the discussion on this issue, the CM said that the state government is completely serious about preventing the increasing drug abuse in the state.
He said that the state government is working on a zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse. He said that to root out drug abuse from the state, the government introduced two bills in the assembly on Wednesday.
He said, “To rehabilitate drug addicts, the government is going to open a drug de-addiction center in an area of 150 bighas in Kotla near Solan. For this, the government has made a provision of ₹5 crore in the budget. Its work will be started this year”.
Sukhu said that after the implementation of the new law, end-to-end information about the drug trade in the state will be available. The Chief Minister said that mapping is being done in 3,605 panchayats of the state. This will reveal at the ward level who takes drugs and where the chitta is coming from. He said that the government has issued strict instructions to all SPs that if there is interference of any officer or politician regarding the drug trade, then it should not be heard.
Says ready to make necessary amendments in mining policy
Sukhu said that the state government is ready to make necessary amendments in the mining policy. He said for this, the opinion of the MLAs will also be taken.
He has said that till now we get an income of ₹400 crore from mining. “It will be increased to ₹1000 crore,” he said while intervening in response to question of BJP MLA from Bharmaur Janak Raj.
Janak Raj had raised the question regarding the move of the state government to give 165 bighas of land on lease without auction, whereas according to the mining policy, more than 5 bighas of government land cannot be given without auction.
The Chief Minister said, “The wealth of the state should not be allowed to be looted. If there is any mistake in the previous cases, then that will also be rectified, and work will be done on how to take back the wealth”.
Sukhu said that the state government will build an international level convention centre in Tapovan, Dharamshala for which 4.50 hectares of land has been identified. He said that the government is trying to make it the largest convention centre in the country. He said that earlier there was a proposal to build it in Dadi Maidan in response to the question raised by BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma during the Question Hour.
