Retorting to Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) allegations of Congress Government’s failure to tackle drug menace, the Punjab Government on Tuesday released ‘official data’ while at the same time accusing the “erstwhile ruling party” of misleading the people by spreading false and unsubstantiated information on the matter.
Claiming a whopping increase in OPD visits and indoor patients over the average monthly figures of 2016 after the installation of the new government, the government spokesperson pointed out that from March 16 to April 26 this year, 18,440 OPD visits have been recorded.
The increase over the average monthly OPD of 2016 stood at 48.1 percent while the indoor patients in the same period had increased by 103 percent to 1446 across the state, said the spokesperson.
Pointing out that these were figures for just the government centres, the spokesperson said that there were huge numbers also being reported from the private centres and hospitals, endorsing the massive success of the Capt Amarinder government’s concerted crackdown on the drugs mafia in the state.
lashing out at the SAD for playing dirty politics over a grave issue like the drugs menace, the spokesperson said that contrary to SAD’s claims, Capt Amarinder Government, in just 45 days of assuming charge, has not only broken the backbone of the drugs mafia in the state but has been successful in creating the enabling environment needed to bring drug addicts back into the mainstream of the society.
“The proactive resolve of the government has seen a massive increase in drugs-related cases, arrests and seizures in the last two weeks of April. While recovery of poppy husk had almost tripled, that of opium was more than double, of powder almost more than double and ganja almost double,” said the spokesperson.
Similarly, the recovery of the medicinal drugs had tripled in this period, as per the official data.
Spokesperson pointed out that with drug supplies getting chocked, prices of whatever little was available in the market had shot through the roof, putting it out of the reach of the people.
The total FIRs registered under NDPS Act in this period stood at 797, with 920 arrests.
The drug-wise seizures include 2.926 kg heroin, 3482 kg smack, 50.792 kg opium, 2212.274 kg poppy husk, 26.174 kg powder, 86.382 kg ganja, 10.870 kg charas, 0.800 kg sulfa, 38,305 capsules, 4,39,063 tablets and 5,140 injections.
Referring to the official data for de-addiction centres, the spokesperson revealed that the OPD and indoor figures for Model De-addiction Centre GMC-Amritsar stood at 457 and 198, DH-Barnala 550 and 72, Model De-addiction Centre Bathinda 1618 and 97, Model De-addiction Centre GGMC Faridkot 459 and 33, DH-Fatehgarh Sahib 337 and 46, DH-Fazilka 1109 and 19, SDH-Abohar 1696 and 28, DH-Ferozepur 304 and 54, DH-Gurdaspur 603 and 39 and SDH-Batala 225 and 25.
Dismissing as “ludicrous” the SAD demand for the government to release data on the number of addicts actually weaned away from drugs, the spokesperson said that this completely exposed their lack of understanding and sensitivity about the drugs menace and the physical, mental and emotional impact it had on the youth addicted to drugs.
“If they had any understanding of the problem they would have realized that de-addiction requires medical and psychiatric treatment which may span months,” he pointed out.
“The problems caused by drugs, which the SAD Government had connived with drugs dealers to spread to rampant and dangerous levels during its tenure, are not easy to tackle and require major medical attention and support, which the Capt Amarinder government was taking all steps to provide to the victims of drug abuse,” said the spokesperson.
“The damage it causes to the psyche of those affected is immeasurable, which the SAD leadership cannot possibly be expected to empathize with, given their total apathy to the problems of the people of Punjab,” he added, lambasting the SAD for its malicious allegations against the Government.