Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday warned of strict legal action against anyone, whether in the administration or in public life, connected to drug trafficking or lending support to it.
Sinha joined ‘padyatra’ in Shopian district of south Kashmir as part of the anti-drugs campaign in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today I want to state unequivocally: whether an official or anyone in public life, if they are in any way connected to the drug network or lend it support, they will face strict legal consequences. I assure the people that if even the slightest trace of this infection has seeped into our system, it will be mercilessly cut out without hesitation,” the LG said.
Addressing the gathering, the LG said the collective resolve of the people to end the drug menace will herald a new era.
“From every lane and bylane of UT, voices are rising in unison, demanding that not a single drug smuggler should be spared. What began 43 days ago in Jammu has now surged into a powerful grassroots movement, echoing across communities with unstoppable force,” he said.
Millions across Jammu and Kashmir are determined to eradicate narcotics-terrorism from this land of paradise, he said.
“It is now firmly etched in the minds of our people that this is not a distant issue but a challenge confronting us at our very doorstep, one we must face head-on with courage and resolve,” he said.
Sinha said the poison of drugs is diverting youths from the path of progress. He said terrorist groups use proceeds from drugs to buy weapons and then use them to spill the blood of ordinary Kashmiris.
“By destroying the lives of our children, thousands of smugglers and narco-terrorists have built their own dark fiefdoms. Each brick of that sordid realm is being pulled down.
“The cup of suffering borne by the people at the hands of drug smugglers has overflowed; their collective cry of ‘no more’ has risen into an unstoppable roar,” he said.
He said that many parents across Jammu and Kashmir live under this shadow of fear, constantly worried that their family could be the next target of narco-terrorists.
“We must banish that fear completely and ensure safety for every household in the Union Territory,” the LG said.
Sinha also highlighted that more than 7,000 women’s committees have been formed in Jammu and Kashmir and it is now the administration’s duty to empower these committees and ensure they can work effectively.
Giving details of the action against the drug network since the campaign began last month, the LG said that in the past 43 days, 797 FIRs have been registered and 894 drug smugglers and peddlers have been sent behind bars.
He said, “59 traffickers have been arrested under PIT-NDPS provisions; 81 narcotic palaces built with the traffickers’ black money have been demolished; 101 immovable properties have been attached and seized.”
Sinha said 457 driving licences have been suspended. Recommendations have been made to cancel passports of 22 smugglers and to cancel registrations of 606 vehicles.
“Large quantities of drugs have been seized. About 5,641 drug stores were inspected; licences of 268 stores were suspended or cancelled, and FIRs were filed against 6 drug stores,” he informed.
A comprehensive rehabilitation policy is also being prepared, the LG said, adding that the aim is not only to free addicted youth through de-addiction programmes but also to reintegrate them into the mainstream by providing employment and jobs.
