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Punjab govt launches drive to detect drug abuse among inmates
Under the pilot project, the Ropar district Jail successfully conducted the screening of all the 950 inmates for drug abuse present in the jail
The Punjab government on Sunday launched a ‘Drug Screening Drive’ for diagnosing drug abuse among jail inmates.
Under the pilot project, the Ropar district Jail successfully conducted the screening of all the 950 inmates present in the jail.
The screening was conducted in the presence of special DGP Prisons Harpreet Sing Sidhu, IG Prisons Roop Kumar and DIG Prisons Surinder Singh, and Superintendent Jail Kulwant Singh.
The officers of other prisons across the state participated for getting first-hand experience in taking up this drive in their respective jails.
The final results of the screening drive will be available within a day after which further action would be initiated.
“It was for the first time such an extensive drive had been taken up to cover the entire inmate population of a prison for drug screening on a single day,” said jails minister Harjot Singh Bains, adding that the process would be undertaken across all prisons in the state.
Divulging details, he said that this is another effort by the state government to bring reforms in the Punjab prisons.
“This project will help in identifying those inmates with substance use disorders and are not yet undergoing treatment at OOAT clinics and de-addiction facilities established within the prison system,” he said.
“With a view to making these persons undergo de-addiction treatment, FIRs will also be lodged under Section 27 of the NDPS Act in case any such person is found consuming illegal narcotics,” said the minister.
He said the jails department will also request the investigation and prosecution authorities to enforce section 64A of the NDPS Act. He said that this will provide such inmates an opportunity to get themselves treated and avail immunity from prosecution through the court.
The police will be requested to conduct a thorough investigation into all cases registered under this drive to plug any loopholes in the prison system regarding illegal drug supply, he added.
