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Intensify campaign against drugs, says CM at NCORD panel meet
CM Yogi ordered the officials to increase vigilance and intelligence in districts sensitive to drug trafficking as well as inter-state and international borders.
LUCKNOW The campaign against illegal trade of drugs should be intensified across the state and properties of people involved in such nefarious activities shall be seized, said chief minister Yogi Adityanath while holding National Narcotics Coordination Portal (NCORD) state-level committee meeting on Tuesday. He added that drug mafias are a threat to the society and thus, their entire nexus should be destroyed.
The officials of the Government of India and the state government participated in the meeting chaired by the CM. During this, the CM instructed the officials to focus on investigating the source of drugs, termination of network, arrest of culprits and rehabilitation of addicts. He added that special court will be constituted for fast-track trial of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases. He further said that a state-wide campaign to raise awareness about drugs will be carried out from Pandit Deendayal Updhyaya’s birthday on September 25 to Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on October 2.
As per the press note issued by the state government, the CM said that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has decided to set-up its new zonal office in Gorakhpur and the state government will make available the necessary land and resources for the headquarters building. The CM pointed out that this effort of NCB will play a crucial role in ending the illegal drug business in the state.
The CM also said that the newly-constituted Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) will work in coordination with the NCB. He said ANTF was constituted by the state government in August 2022 and was equipped with all necessary powers like search, seizure, arrest, attachment, custody, and investigation. He said that all necessary resources should be made available as per the requirements of ANTF. Initially, ANTF police stations have been established at Gorakhpur, Meerut, and Barabanki. Now, its police station will be set up in Jhansi, Saharanpur, and Ghazipur.
CM Yogi ordered the officials to increase vigilance and intelligence in districts sensitive to drug trafficking as well as inter-state and international borders. He laid emphasis on awareness and enforcement of de-addiction and opening rehabilitation centres at divisional headquarters.
During the meeting, the CM underlined that the menace of drug trafficking is not confined to a state and is widespread, and efforts to deal with it should also be integrated. He said there is a need to intensify the campaign against illegal manufacture, purchase, and sale of drugs and drug trafficking in the state. He said along with the Home Department, the Urban Development and Rural Development Department will have to cooperate in this campaign. Special courts should be constituted in the districts with maximum pendency of cases under the NDPS Act, he added.
Proper use of NCORD portal and Nidan platform of the Government of India for effective action against drug trafficking was also emphasised in the meeting. He said the ANTF will be further strengthened so that decisive action can be taken in the fight against drugs. He said district-level and state-level NCORD meetings should be held at regular intervals every month.
The press noted further stated that the CM emphasised efforts should be stepped up to raise awareness about de-addiction in educational institutions. He said videos of drug addicts’ experiences should be shared and awareness material should be distributed in higher educational institutions and conferences should be organised. He said training of teachers should also be conducted during the holidays for the awareness programme. NGOs and others religious organisations will be encouraged to support this campaign in all districts.
