Coming up with a detailed report on the State’s ‘war against drugs,’ Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday assured the House that no innocent would be falsely implicated in the drug case.
Claiming that no stone has been left unturned by the State Government to check the drug menace, Sukhbir pointed that 63 per cent of the total cases filed across the country under Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were registered by Punjab.
Quoting Narcotic Control Bureau, he said that Punjab Police alone had registered 16,821 cases under NDPS Act out of 26,658 across the nation which amounted to 63 per cent of all cases. Punjab Police had also seized 417 kg out of the total of 1,457 kg seized countrywide in 2013, he added.
Sukhbir said that the State Government had moved effectively against the smugglers by confiscating their properties, and properties worth Rs66.14 crore had been seized of 338 smugglers between January 2006 and June 2014.
He said that the State had achieved tremendous success by snapping the drugs’ supply line, besides nabbing not only the drug peddlers, but also their kingpins.
Sukhbir made the statement during the Question Hour while responding to Congress MlA Rana Gurmeet Sodhi’s query asking for white paper on the cases registered against drug traffickers, besides the number of police officials involved and action taken against them.
Sodhi’s question was earlier listed for Friday but was granted extension by the Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, followed by a walkout by the Congress MlAs.
Sukhbir, giving reply, said that a total of 28 police officials were found involved in cases related to drugs, including one DSP, from January 1, 2014, and 12 have been dismissed from the services. He said that the State Government had launched a war against drugs on different platforms by catching drug producers, traders and suppliers, besides launching a special drug-de addiction drive by engaging health department, NGOs and heads of religious organizations.
Referring to the drug de-addiction efforts being carried out by the State government, Sukhbir said that state police chief had also been directed to constitute divisional committees headed by Zonal IGs to involve Gram Panchayats in this drive.
He also announced that Punjab Government would take a lenient view against innocent drug consumers who were not involved in drug trafficking and in any other cases relating to drugs, instead Punjab Police would provide all kind of help to rehabilitate them.
listing out zero tolerance against drug smuggling, Sukhbir informed the House that recently State Narcotics Control Bureau had been formed to eliminate drug menace under and IG-rank officer with two DIGs and three SSP rank officers deputed in Bureau’s field units.
Sukhbir, talking about conviction rate under NDPS Act, said that Punjab has always registered highest conviction rate of 47.5 per cent in 2002, 72.9 per cent in 2012, 80.5 per cent in 2013 and 81.2 per cent up to June 30, 2014.
To deal with the medical psychotropic consumption of drugs, Sukhbir said that drug inspectors would be shifted to Police Department on deputation so that they could assist in operations against traffickers. “In 2002, only 7,000 capsules were confiscated against three crore capsules in 2013,” he said.
Calling upon all political leaders not to defame Punjab on the drug issue, Sukhbir said, “We are facing a difficult situation but it is not as big as is being made out…I assure the House that Punjab is fighting against drugs with full vigour and would take it to a positive and logical conclusion.”