Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH, OCTOBER 1: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has again called for a national drug policy to save the young generation, saying a comprehensive formula was needed at the central level to effectively check drug abuse.
Pointing out that he had been clamouring for such a policy since his previous tenure as Chief Minister back in 2007, Captain Amarinder Singh welcomed the fact that the issue had taken centre-stage due to the growing demand for opium cultivation by certain states. States like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were growing opium, for which they were finding a lucrative market in Punjab, he pointed out, expressing angst at the ruination of his state’s young generation.
The Chief Minister said in a statement that he had taken up the issue of a national drug policy with the Centre, and also raised it in the Chief Ministers’ conference. A foolproof mechanism was needed to wipe out the scourge of drugs, he said, underlining the need for a national policy to deal with the problem. One state growing drugs, especially opium, and another not doing so was leading to an unacceptable situation in the country, he added.
The national policy could also address the need for cultivation of drugs needed for the pharmaceutical industry, said Captain Amarinder Singh. He said that centre should involve states and experts while formulating such a policy.
The Chief Minister further said that he was happy that this issue had again come up for discussion and expressed the hope that the matter would now be resolved once and for all.
