Shimla: Alarmed about drug menace assuming a serious dimension in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday invoked a four-pronged strategy for prevention, detection, action and rehabilitation.
He told the police to crack down against drug peddlers and also advised them to involve social action groups and NGOs to 'wage a war' against the drug mafia. There is a free-hand from the state government, he declared.
The Chief Minister admitted that the drug problem in Himachal Pradesh, basically a spill-over from Punjab, has to be dealt with 'zero-tolerance' approach as it threatens the future of the young generation.
He also asked the parents to remain alert and help the police instead of shying away.
Speaking at a function, to give away prizes to the winners of police Half-Marathon, organised to create mass awareness about ill-effects of the drugs on youths, he launched a mobile phone app -- 'Drug-Free Himachal'.
Anyone can call and give information, through this App, to the police about drug peddlers and drug abusers.
"Even the police will not have any clue about the person giving information about the drugs," said Director General of Police S R Mardi, who admitted that many people don't come to the police to give information fearing harassment.
The Chief Minister recalled his initiative to involve four northern states—Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, in collective action against the drug mafia. He said, "If needed, there can be a follow-up meeting of four Chief Ministers during the next few months to tighten-up the measures evolved through the earlier meeting."
Thakur, who returned to Shimla, after his six-day long tour to Dubai and Mumbai, where he had gone to woo investors, quoted his meeting with some Punjab entrepreneurs on the sidelines of his "roadshow" there.
"I was shocked to hear from them a hard reality about drugs problem in Punjab. They told me that had they did not move out of Punjab to earn livelihood in Dubai, else they would have surely fallen to drugs," he quoted.
The Chief Minister said stricter laws enacted by the country, to deal with drugs, have no meaning unless the enforcement of these laws was done by the police unsparingly.
The state government was committed to make Himachal Pradesh a drug free state by ensuring effective enforcement of laws to check this menace, besides ensuring people's participation for making it a mass movement.
He also launched 'Nasha Nivaran Toll-Free Helpline-1908' and helpline for 'Cyber Crime Police Station' on the occasion. He said that anyone can register a complaint against drug peddler through this App.
Dr Suman Trehan won the event in 75 years and above category and R.R. Verma won in 85 years category.
Studies have shown that 55 to 60 per cent of youths in Shimla are addicted to drugs. Newer dimension to this is "Chitta' -- most dangerous drug that is a sure cause of addiction and drug overdose deaths.