Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating his demand for a National Drugs Policy to check the drug menace.
In the letter, Singh has urged the PM to advise the Home Ministry, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to address the issue with more seriousness than it has been dealt with so far.
The Chief Minister has also sought the personal intervention of the Prime Minister in the formulation of a national policy, which focuses on three components.
This includes law enforcement, de-addiction and prevention of drug abuse in the country. The policy would enable all states to follow a similar approach and strategy to curb the drug problem. The menace has substantially hampered the health of the people, particularly the youth, the letter said.
There’s a lot we’re doing to tackle drugs menace but it’s a national problem that needs a uniform approach if we’re to eliminate it completely. Have written to @narendramodi ji seeking a national drugs policy. Am hopeful of a positive response in larger national interest.pic.twitter.com/wTVzUeUxG8
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) June 2, 2019
Captain has expressed the Punjab government’s willingness to associate with the concerned officers of the Union government to draft the policy. Coordinated efforts could also be made to put in place an effective mechanism for the policy’s implementation across the country.
Highlighting the fact that Punjab shares a 553-km border with Pakistan and has strategic significance for the safety and security of the country, Captain also raised the security concerns emerging out of narco-terrorism.
Captain further pointed out that substance abuse was a global problem entailing heavy socio-economic costs to both individuals and society.
In his letter, the Chief Minister said, “In the last two decades, the prevalence of illicit trafficking of drugs has assumed alarming proportions in India too. The latest survey report titled ‘Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India’ released in February 2019 by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment with the collaboration of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, indicates that drug abuse in India is a significant problem and multi-pronged and coordinated policy interventions are required to tackle it effectively.”
The CM shared the ‘path-breaking initiatives’ undertaken by the Punjab government in the last two years to check the drug menace and to expand its outreach to the grassroots.
Further, Caption urged PM Modi to extend financial support to increase and strengthen the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics in Punjab, currently being run on the “meager” state resources.
A three-step EDP —Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention strategy has been adopted for coordinated efforts on all fronts, the Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister. A “Comprehensive Action against Drug Abuse” (CADA) Plan was also being implemented in the state, said the letter.
