Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that necessary amendments in the law would be carried out to take stringent action against the drug peddlers with a provision to confiscate the property of the culprits.
He said that a Special Task Force would be formed to break the supply chain and take stern action against the drug mafia. An advisory Board under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act would also be constituted to check the menace.
He stated this in a meeting with senior officers of Police, Home and Law Departments here last evening to initiate strict measures to curb the drug menace in the State. The Chief Minister said that a modern de-addiction centre and rehabilitation centre would be set up which will be equipped with latest facilities and skilled supportive staff to bring the addicts back into the mainstream.
He said that drugs were weakening the youth and the need of the hour was to nab the culprits at the earliest and booked under the law. We will seek the support of Union Government to evolve a mechanism to share intelligence inputs and taking joint actions to control the problem in an effective manner by making necessary amendments in the central legislation on drug menace, he added.
Expressing grave concern over the drug abuse, the Chief Minister said that people should be made aware about the ill effects of the drugs. We need to coordinate with the neighbouring States to check this menace especially in the border areas.
He directed the officers to take appropriate measures to save the young generation from being dragged in the clutches of the drug mafia. Revenue Minister, Jagat Singh Negi, Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Bharat Khera, OSD to Chief Minister, Gopal Sharma, DGP, Sanjay Kundu, Secretary Law, Sharad Kumar Lagwal and other senior officers of Police Department also attended the meeting.