Himachal mulls on dedicated task force to combat drugs menace
Shimla: Monsoon hitting Himachal Pradesh, especially Shimla — the hill town did not deter the spirit of approximately 2,000 participants, young and old, who enthusiastically participated in the 10th half marathon organised by Himachal Pradesh police under its three-month long campaign – ‘Pradhav’, to wipe out drugs.
Even as Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla drove to the Ridge undeterred by the rains and inclement weather to flag off the event, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu reached later to distribute the prizes to the winners.
The organisers led by IPS officer Satwant Atwal Trivedi, additional DGP (CID) — who is also acting Director General of Police had to quickly shift the venue of prize distribution function at Gaiety theatre because of rains, making the event successful in many ways.
Patting the police for its consistent drive to fight the drugs, the CM expressed concern over the problem gripping the state especially youths. He numerated the challenges before the police yet said there is a ray of hope too.
“The rising drug-related issues in bordering areas of the state is a matter of grave concern. We are contemplating to form a dedicated special task force to combat this menace and follow a multipronged strategy to deal with the peddlers and at the same time take the victims (addicts) to the rehabilitation centres,” he said. He emphasised the need for strict action against drug peddlers and increased awareness campaigns to rescue the youth from the clutches of drug abuse. “The state government has taken up the issue of making the Narcotics Act more stringent with the Central government so that the properties of drug peddlers can be confiscated and strict action can be taken against them,” he said.
To tackle drug addiction and aid in the rehabilitation of affected individuals, the state government plans to establish two state-of-the-art drug de-addiction-cum- rehabilitation centers in Himachal.
About 50 bighas of land is being identified for setting up each center, which will focus on providing effective treatment and support to those in need, he said.
