Cutting across party line, Congress and BJP lawmakers, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jairam Thakur, respectively, jointly held a protest on the Himachal Pradesh Assembly premises against the menace of ‘chitta (synthetic drug)' on Friday.
Donning clothes with badges bearing the message of a “chitta-free Himachal”, the legislators from the ruling and Opposition parties raised slogans like, “Chitta must be driven out, youth must be saved”. Earlier, MLAs of the treasury bench arrived in the House wearing outfits and badges bearing the anti-drug message.
BJP MLAs also entered the Assembly wearing clothes with the slogan, “Chitta-free Himachal, a new Himachal”. LoP Thakur said the Opposition “is ready to cooperate with the government against drugs." Chief Minister Sukhu said an aggressive fight has been started against ‘chitta’ and “we all have to fight it together.”
The Chief Minister told the media, "This is not a matter of politics. Lives are at risk, and we must work together.” He said the government has launched a historic fight against ‘chitta’. “Protecting the youth from addiction and uniting to defeat it is our priority. Strictness is being increased in panchayats where ‘chitta’ is prevalent.
Also property acquired through drugs is being confiscated and will be demolished under the PIT-NDPS Act,” CM Sukhu said. He said the government is preparing a comprehensive action plan to curb drugs by holding gram sabha meetings and offering rewards to individuals who provide information on drug modules.
CM Sukhu said after many arrests of those indulging in the drug trade, the state is now focussing on rehabilitation. To wipe out psychotropic drugs from the state, the Chief Minister this week led the 'Anti-Chitta Awareness Walkathon' in Dharamsala, the state’s winter capital, that saw participation by a large number of schoolchildren and people.
CM Sukhu accompanying the children throughout the walkathon gave a clear message of the commitment of the Himachal government to wipe out ‘chitta’ and other drugs from the state. CM Sukhu said that although the PIT-NDPS Act was not invoked for years, the present state government has implemented it on the ground.
Under this law, 46 major traffickers have been detained. Issuing a warning, he had said, “Every single rupee earned from drugs will be seized, and we have proven and have confiscated Rs 46 crore worth of illegal property.”