To fight the menace of illicit trafficking of drugs into Indian States bordering Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, the Centre has formed a Joint Committee comprising four Central Ministries, including the Social Justice and Empowerment, Home Affairs, Health and Finance.
“Porous borders are only aiding the problem of drug smuggling into India. If we study the problem closely, the crisis is most in the states of Punjab, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram,” Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Minister told The Pioneer, on the sidelines of an event marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the Capital on Friday.
“We have formed a committee to formulate a comprehensive policy to take the battle of drug menace head on. The committee has met twice to discuss the reports on rising cases of drug trafficking and addition, mostly in States sharing international borders,” he said.
Since the last comprehensive survey on the extent of drug abuse in the country was in 2001, the government recently carried out a pilot survey in the Border States of Punjab and Manipur and its results would be made available by next week.
The 2001 survey carried out by the Ministry with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that approximately 7.5 crore Indians were addicts. The National Survey on extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India showed that the prevalence rates within the age group of 12-18 years were alcohol (21.4 per cent), cannabis (3 per cent), opiates (0.7 per cent) and any illicit drug (3.6 per cent). But by the Government’s own admission, the figures are grossly underestimated.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment also announced the setting up of 28 de-addiction centres across the State of Punjab, where the problem of drug abuse and trafficking is uncontrolled.
“Our Ministry has held three meetings with the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the last one year for tackling drug menace in the State. The Government is opening 28 new de-addiction centres across the State for rehabilitating people from drug abuse,” he said.
“The problem is highest in Punjab compared to other affected States as we have not been able to prevent smuggling of drugs from Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.
Gehlot said that the Government is also in talks with Meghalaya and Manipur to establish a chain of de-addiction centres in the States like they have done in Punjab.
“We are aiming at not just de-addicting victims of drug abuse but also rehabilitating them. Unlike the 15-day medicine course, we have launched a three-month comprehensive de-addiction and rehabilitation programme to help them re-integrate into mainstream,” said Minister Vijay Sampla.