Himachal Pradesh is cracking down on drug abuse with mandatory testing for government jobs, categorising panchayats by addiction levels, and promising 'bulldozer action' against 'chitta' smugglers.
Key Points
- Himachal Pradesh to implement mandatory anti-chitta drug testing for government jobs and professional institution admissions.
- Government to categorise panchayats based on the number of addicts, deploying special police surveillance in sensitive areas.
- Authorities will not arrest individuals who report family members' drug abuse but will provide treatment and rehabilitation.
- The state government will establish two de-addiction centres for women in Mashobra and Tanda Medical College.
- Himachal Pradesh ranks first in preventive action against drug kingpins under the PIT-NDPS Act, seizing illegal assets worth nearly Rs 51 crore.
Government would take "bulldozer action" against "chitta smugglers", and anti-chitta testing would be mandatory for jobs in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday.
Addressing the media after a Narcotics Coordination Committee meeting here, he said screening for Chitta (adulterated heroin) occurred during the recruitment test for over 1,300 constables held recently. He said that henceforth, the Chitta test would be compulsory for all government recruitment in the state.
Mandatory Drug Testing in Himachal Pradesh
At the time of admission to professional government institutions, students will also go through an anti-drug test every year, Sukhu said, clarifying that based on the test, no admission will be denied.
However, addicts will be rehabilitated alongside their studies.
"Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to categorise panchayats into red, yellow and green categories based on the number of addicts in each panchayat," Sukhu said, adding that so far, 12,000 chitta addicts have been identified at the panchayat level in the state.
Special police and CID surveillance have been deployed in 234 highly sensitive panchayats for Chitta across the state, and people involved in Chitta have been barred from contesting upcoming panchayat elections this month, he added.
Out of the 234 sensitive panchayats, 19 panchayats are in Shimla, 35 in Solan, Sirmaur (20), Bilaspur (27), Hamirpur (14), Kullu (28), Mandi (24), Kangra (44), Chamba (13), and Una (10).
Support and Rehabilitation for Addicts
Sukhu said, "If family members of a person involved in Chitta abuse inform the authorities at 112, the person would not be arrested. Instead, they would receive treatment and rehabilitation.
Furthermore, the police will soon open two de-addiction centres for women, one in Mashobra, on the outskirts of Shimla and another in Tanda Medical College in Kangra district.
Accountability and Awareness Campaigns
Anti-drug performance indicators are being introduced in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police with parameters, supply, demand and harm reduction, based on performance in tackling the drug menace and implementing the Anti-Chitta awareness campaign, he added.
He said that the government realised that the menace of 'chitta' was one of the biggest challenges facing the state.
Highlighting it as not merely a drug problem, but a direct attack on youth, families, social fabric and the future of the state, the chief minister said the government will ensure every possible effort to root out this vice.
Increased Enforcement and Seizures
Sukhu disclosed that from 2023 till now, 6,811 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, which is 33.18 per cent higher than during the previous government's tenure.
During this period, 10,357 accused persons were arrested, and 45,867 kg of narcotic substances, including chitta, were seized.
He said there will be zero tolerance for any government employee involved in drug trafficking. Action is being taken against 123 employees found involved in such activities and 31 out of them, including 21 from the police department, have been terminated from service.
The chief minister said that so far, 174 drug traffickers and mafia have been detained under the PIT-NDPS Act, whereas the previous BJP government failed to implement the Act during its five-year tenure.
Himachal Pradesh ranks first in the country in preventive action against drug kingpins under the PIT-NDPS Act, he said, adding that this year, the state police alone accounts for more than one-third of all preventive actions taken under the NDPS Act across the country.
He said that to strike at the financial roots of the illegal drug trade, illegal assets worth nearly Rs 51 crore have been seized over the last three-and-a-half years, which is almost three times higher than during the previous government's tenure.
Additionally, 76 illegal properties have been identified and demolition and eviction action have been taken in 17 cases.
Future Plans and Awareness
Emphasising that forensic reports of cases related to chitta must be prepared within five days, Sukhu said that the second phase of the campaign against chitta would start from June 1 to August 20.
During this period, an anti-chitta awareness campaign would be carried out in government schools and colleges across the state.
He said that state officials will visit at least 10 educational institutions in their respective areas to create awareness among students about the ill effects of drugs.
He said that the state government will ensure strict compliance by pharmaceutical companies regarding the manufacturing and distribution of medicines and illegal sales would lead to licence cancellation.
