Pb blames Centre, other states for unchecked drug trafficking

Asserting that it has zero tolerance policy towards drug smuggling, Punjab government today blamed the Centre and other states for not taking adequate steps to check drug inflow, saying Punjab is being used as transit route for drugs.
Giving a reply on cases registered against drug smugglers during the Question Hour in state Assembly here, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said: "Punjab is not a producer of drugs. It is a victim of inefficiencies of other states and Centre as Punjab is a transit route of drugs."
"Opium is not produced in Punjab. It comes from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, while poppy husk comes from Rajasthan and Charas is produced in Himachal Pradesh," he said.

Congress MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi had sought reply from Punjab Deputy CM on July 18 on whether the state government will issue white paper regarding cases lodged against drug smugglers from January 1, 2014 and the number of police officials involved in drug smugglings with the details of departmental action taken against them so far.
Punjab Congress had even staged a walk out from the state Assembly on July 18 after Speaker granted extension to Badal for giving reply on issuing white paper pertaining to cases registered against drug smugglers.
Badal said Punjab was fighting the "nation's war against drugs" and had achieved "tremendous success" of snapping the supply lines and nabbing not just the drug kingpins but also their peddlers.

While presenting a detailed report on the State's campaign against drugs, Badal said according to the reports of the Narcotic Control Bureau, Punjab Police alone had registered 16,821 cases under NDPS Act out of 26,658 cases across the nation, which amounted to 63 percent of all cases.

He said the Punjab Police had also seized 417 kg out of the total of 1457 kg seized countrywide in 2013.
The Deputy CM said the government had moved effectively against smugglers by confiscating their properties. He said property worth Rs 66 crore had been seized.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that Punjab has also launched a special drug-de addiction drive by engaging health department, NGOs and heads of religious organisations.

Referring to the drug de-addiction efforts being carried out by the state government, the Deputy CM said the DGP had also been directed to constitute divisional committees headed by the Zonal IGs to involve the Gram Panchayats in this drive.