Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today called for socio-political concensus to confront the menace of drugs which was the biggest danger confronting the Punjabi society.
In a statement, Manpreet proposed that all political parties should sit across the table and evolve multi-pronged strategy as this menace was deep rooted and could not be checked by police methods alone.
He said it was too well known a fact that drug barons always and everywhere functioned under not so complex political-police patronage. However, this was one fact that was never admitted by anybody despite its being an open secret. This patronage to the drug dealers must end.
He agreed that the porous border was one of the major factors for the smuggling of drugs but the ones being used in Punjab were not coming from Pakistan. The chemical drugs were being produced in the region. The use of opium and poppy husk had been prevalent for years in this state. However, this use never attained such dangerous proportions. The situation had worsened after the use of synthetic drugs was introduced.
He said one of the reasons for the youth taking increasingly to drugs was staggering unemployment. Moreover, the situation was the worse in case of those who were educated but were unemployable due to the poor quality ofeducation. Only some select institutions were producing graduates who were getting jobs in the proliferating private sector.
Manpreet said the law must take its own course against those whose names crop up during investigation of the drug racket and there should be no double standards. However, what was all the more important was the peoples’ perception about the situation and this can change only if stringent action is taken against the accused on the basis of unbiased investigation.
He said in order to eradicate this menace, it was necessary to expose the racket in totality and the state government should not hesitate in handing over the investigation to any other agency which could go into all aspects of drug smuggling.
