SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, 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 upon the importance of putting in place a foolproof mechanism to check illegal selling of psychotropic or scheduled drugs over the counters by the pharmacies.
He stressed on ensuring installation of CCTV cameras and Computerized Billing Systems (CBS) at 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 detailing out actions like detentions, seizures, property attachments made, licences of pharmacies suspended/cancelled, repeated offenders arrested under 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 for ensuring that relevant entries are too made in the revenue records reflecting these attachments.
He enjoined upon the need for carrying out quality investigations to improve the conviction rates. He stressed on the departments like Police, School Education, RDD, Urban Development, Health and Excise to run regular campaigns creating 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 drug menace in J&K besides highlighting the success with which it is being tackled by the administration. He also gave brief about the status of actions taken by the concerned over the directives given during previous meeting.
It was revealed that the five newly approved NDPS courts would be made fully functional within a month’s time. 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 centres are manned by trained Psychiatrists with necessary SoPs framed by the Department for both kinds of facilities.
Giving details about the enforcement measures taken by the Police and other departments, the meeting was apprised that 5 licences have been cancelled and 169 suspended by the Drug Controller for violating the norms. It was further informed that the police has arrested 1187 persons, so far, in this year registering 837 cases. It was also given out that during this period 25 kg of Heroin, 24 kg of B.Sugar, 187 kg Charas, 1.5 kg of opium, 106 kg Fukki, 1701 kg poppy straw, 190 kg Bhang, 52 kg Ganja, 59,979 Tablets/capsules, 89 injections and 2830 syrup bottles of psychotropic substances were seized by the department during this year.
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 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 outstation officers participated virtually.
