'Centre formulating strategy to tackle menace of drugs in Punjab, J-K'

The Centre is formulating a detailed strategy to tackle the menace of drugs in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Amarinder Singh during a meeting here.

According to a Punjab government spokesperson, Shah said this after Singh called on him this evening and reiterated his demand for a National Drugs Policy.

The Punjab chief minister also urged Shah to press upon Pakistan on the need to construct an overbridge over the Ravi river to facilitate devotees to travel through the Sri Kartarpur Sahib corridor in all seasons without any obstruction.

The link over the Ravi has been stuck over Pakistan's adamant insistence on building a causeway over the creek between the bridges being constructed by the two countries on their respective side.

Singh pointed out that a causeway as proposed by Islamabad would get flooded in the monsoon season, thus obstructing passage through the historic corridor, the spokesperson said.

Shah is said to have agreed on the exchange of three companies of central forces with IRB for the high-security jails in Punjab, after a demand to this effect was made.

Singh also thanked Shah for the Centre's support for Punjab's anti-drugs campaign. He sought attachment of additional Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officers with Punjab, along with deputation of an IG-level officer permanently at Chandigarh and a DIG in Amritsar.

The chief minister also stressed on the need for modernisation of the state police and urged the home minister to provide funds under the MPF scheme. Punjab may be categorised as a Category-A state for financial assistance on 90:10 Centre-State sharing basis, on the pattern of J&K and eight North-eastern states under the MPF scheme, he suggested.

The chief minister also called for establishment of an NSG hub at Pathankot, in addition to provision for SP operations from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for 12 districts of the state.

He pointed out that being a border state, Punjab was vulnerable to attacks and intrusions and thus needed to be treated as a sensitive state from the perspective of national security.