SRINAGAR, JULY 6: Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested 1187 persons and seized 25 kg of Heroin, 24 kg of B.Sugar, 187 kg of Charas, 1.5 kg of opium, 106 kg of Fukki, 1701 kg poppy straw, 190 kg of Bhang this year so far.
Besides, 52 kg of Ganja, 59,979 Tablets/capsules, 89 injections, and 2830 syrup bottles of psychotropic substances were seized during this year.
The data was presented in the 10th UT Level Apex Committee meeting of NCORD. The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo. He impressed upon the Health Department to explore the possibility of establishing In-Patient Department (IPD) facilities in all the major district hospitals of J&K.
Dulloo, while chairing the 10th UT Level Apex Committee meeting of NCORD, emphasized the importance of putting in place a foolproof mechanism to check the illegal selling of psychotropic or scheduled drugs over the counters by the pharmacies. He stressed ensuring the installation of CCTV cameras and Computerized Billing Systems (CBS) at the remaining Pharmacies forthwith. He said that no pharmacy should be allowed to function without such facilities, especially in urban areas.
The Chief Secretary asked for formulating district-wise statistics clearly showing the cases registered and the subsequent actions taken against the convicts. He asked for detailed actions like detentions, seizures, property attachments made, licenses of pharmacies suspended/canceled, repeated offenders arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA), persons bailed out from courts and those successfully convicted in the court of law. He also took note of the properties belonging to drug traffickers seized by the police department and asked to ensure that relevant entries were made in the revenue records reflecting these attachments.
He enjoined the need for carrying out quality investigations to improve the conviction rates. He stressed the departments like Police, School Education, RDD, Urban Development, Health, and Excise to run regular campaigns to create awareness among the people especially youth about this menace.
The Chief Secretary emphasized upon the Excise Department to furnish details of Agricultural lands used for diverse crops that were earlier used to grow illicit crops like hemp or poppy. He made out that such claims should be corroborated by the Agriculture Department for its acceptability.
On the occasion, a presentation made by the SDG Crime provided the overall scenario of the drug menace in J&K besides highlighting the success with which it is being tackled by the administration. He also gave a brief about the status of actions taken by the concerned over the directives given during the previous meeting.
It was revealed that the five newly approved NDPS courts would be made fully functional within a month. Besides, the IPD facilities have been established by the Health Department in all the seven Medical Colleges of the UT besides having De-addiction centres in all the 20 districts. It was added that these centers are manned by trained Psychiatrists with necessary SoPs framed by the Department for both kinds of facilities.
Regarding rehabilitation of addicts, it was informed that 1,37,329 persons have visited the OPD facilities of Health, 1441 the Police Drug De-addiction facilities, 1000 Social Welfare sponsored ones and 533 have visited those De-addiction facilities established in the private sector, the meeting was apprised.
Among others the meeting was attended by ACS, Forest, Principal Secretary, Home, SDG, Crime, ADGP, HQ, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, ADGP, Jammu, Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Secretary, RDD, Secretary, Health, Secretary, Law; DG prosecution, representatives from BSF, SIA and other senior civil and police officers while Deputy Commissioners, SSPs and others.
