Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla stresses to rout out illegal drugs

Shimla : Appeals for co-operation from all sections of the society to fight against the menace Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said that it would be his priority to make the State free from drugs and appealed to the people to cooperate at every level, so that we can save the youth from falling prey to drug abuse.

He was speaking while presiding over a meeting of senior officers of the Himachal Pradesh Police Department held at Raj Bhavan on drug abuse and illegal trafficking.“The Panchayati Raj and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, research institutes, experts and common citizens can immensely contribute and play an important role in making the society drug-free”, said he.

He said that the police force along with other social organisations has a great responsibility to spread awareness amongst the masses. Apart from this, the issue could be discussed in length and measures to be adopted to tackle drug menace can be taken up with the civil and police authorities of the bordering States which will help routing this evil thoroughly, said the Governor.

The Governor said that the issue was also part of discussion, when he called upon Prime Minister, Narendra Modi after becoming the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. A planned strategy has to be chalked out to fight this social evil, asserted the Governor.

He expressed contentment that State Police Department is doing its job well to capture illegal drugs in day to day Nakas and is also spreading awareness in the society about drug abuse and its consequences.

Shukla said that Himachal Pradesh is also known for its tourism potential thereby adding to its economy but under the pretext of tourism, we won’t allow free flow of drugs in the State. The illegal drug trade is now spreading like an organized crime and the Police needs to be more vigilant to capture the kingpins of this organised crime and to conduct sudden checks at State barriers.

He lauded the efforts of State C.I.D. for starting a special campaign ‘Pradhav’. He said that such efforts could prove effective in creating awareness against drug abuse. On the occasion, he also released the five solutions suggested under the ‘Pradhav’ campaign launched by the Police Department.

Earlier, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu thanked the Governor for convening an important meeting in this regard. He apprised the Governor about the effective steps and action being taken by the police force on the issue.

On the occasion, Additional Director General of Police, Abhishek Trivedi made a detailed presentation on drug abuse and measures to be taken to fight the same. Satwant Atwal Trivedi, Additional Director General of Police also briefed about ‘Pradhav’ campaign.

During the meeting 10 Superintendents of Police from different districts of the State also shared their experiences and informed about the preparations and various challenges in dealing with illegal drugs. Rajesh Sharma, Secretary to Governor was also present on the occasion.