The menace of drugs was fast spreading its tentacles in Haryana and the state government needs to take concrete steps to nip the issue in the bud, opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala said in the Assembly on Monday.
Initiatives like awareness drives and marathons to spread the message on drug menace was all fine but the government should come up with concrete steps to tackle the scourge, Chautala said.
The INLD member, along with some opposition members, had moved an adjournment motion on the drug issue.
Chautala demanded that the government identify those spreading the poison of drugs in the society and come down with a heavy hand against them.
In his reply, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Kumar Bedi said the government is aware of the problem of drug trafficking and abuse in the state.
"Controlling the rapid spread of drug abuse is a serious challenge today and the government is committed to tackling it urgently. The Haryana government is addressing the problem with a three-pronged strategy--law enforcement and regulation of supply of drugs, narcotic substances and also reduction in supply of illicit drugs/substances," Bedi told the Assembly.
He said rehabilitation centres will be set up in all 22 districts of Haryana to help those who have fallen prey to the drug menace come out of it.
Giving data, the minister informed the House that different units of Haryana Police in the year 2014 had registered 1,020 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 1,287 persons and recovered 37.92 kg of opium, 97.3 kg of charas, 2,069.13 kg of poppy husk and other narcotic substances.
In 2018, police registered 2,587 cases under the NDPS Act, arrested 3,294 persons and recovered 105.69 kg opium, 427.80 kg of charas, 10,937.52 kg of poppy husk, he said.
Among other steps being taken to counter the drug problem, Bedi said Chief Minister M L Khattar recently hosted a meeting of chief ministers of the northern states, seeking their cooperation to fight the drug problem. An inter-state Drug Secretariat was established in Panchkula for coordination among police agencies of different states on the issue.
Earlier during Zero Hour, the BJP government had come under fire from the opposition Congress on a host of other issues as well.
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