Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 6: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) J&K, a non-political, civil society collective, has urged new strategies and synergies to get over the growing drug abuse and addiction in Jammu & Kashmir.
In a memorandum to Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, the GCC has appreciated the added thrust of UT administration in dealing with drug and other substance abuse and put forward some specific concerns and suggestions to access better results.
Citing media reports on trans-border drug trafficking, the GCC has referred to attempts at making J&K a conduit of drug trafficking in other parts of the country and appealed the UT Administration and GoI to put in place “more robust and resilient interventions aimed at correcting the fault lines”.
Establishment of NDPS Courts is another major concern flagged by GCC. “Even as PSA is invoked and properties of peddlers seized as never before, the desired deterrence effect is just not there because of long drawn-out trials and niggardly convictions,” reads the memorandum.
The GCC has also asked for most strict measures under relevant laws against cultivation of hemp and poppy which has not stopped inspite of campaigns by the Excise Department.
Other important issues raised by GCC included: Need of new strategies and synergies to be worked in countering the menace, involving an entire Education system from Schools to Universities, including Coaching Centres, ban on sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within a radius of 500 Mtrs of educational institutions, need for a close surveillance on potential hotspots like vendors vending snacks and other eatables, wayside eateries and food courts etc.
GCC also demanded that the Dist Magistrates, Dist Police chiefs and SHOs should be more pro-active in nabbing the sources and supply chain of drugs. “Besides Police–Public coordination, at Thana level, committees on “Combating Drug Abuse” may be constituted, at District and Tehsil levels for a regular monitoring mechanism,” added the GCC.
The GCC also demanded setting up more Drug De-Addiction / Rehabilitation Centres duly equipped with medical and counselling professionals.
The GCC offered all co-operation to the UT Administration in the drive against abuse of drugs and other substances, particularly in supplementing the community outreach and advocacy initiatives.
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