PANAJI : There has been a rise in the number of drug peddlers in the state, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said in a written reply to a question raised by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
Lobo in his question had asked whether the government is aware of the increase in number of drug peddlers in the state which adversely affects the future of the youth. To this, Parsekar, who also holds the home portfolio, replied in affirmative.
To a query as whether the government has any plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Goa, Parsekar said that at present no such proposal has been received by the home department.
Parsekar also listed out steps the government has taken to control and stop the drug peddling and trafficking.
“The Goa police have taken various awareness programmes through lectures in colleges, information by means of radio, print media, electronic media etc to educate youth, students and general public regarding ‘ill-effects of drugs’,” Parsekar said adding that “the government of Goa has formed an anti-narcotic taskforce committee comprising members of various law enforcement agencies for better cooperation and coordination and to exchange intelligence and combat trafficking of drugs”.
He also said that regular day and night patrolling is maintained in and around the beaches, kiosk, shops, hotels, markets and other crowded places.
Parsekar informed that 119 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act in the last 27 months.
In 2014 (from April), 37 cases; in 2015, 61 cases while in 2016 (upto June), 21 cases have been registered.
In yet another written reply to a question of MLAs – Digambar Kamat, Vijay Sardesai and Atanasio Monserrate – on the report of the House committee on the drug mafia-police nexus, the Chief Minister said that it has been referred to the anti-corruption branch, directorate of vigilance by the home department in September last year for further action in the matter.
During the assembly session in March this year, Parsekar in a written reply had said the House committee report was moved to the ACB in September last year in order to conduct the investigation in the said matter.
However, no investigation was conducted by the ACB in the matter, as the same was beyond the scope of the ACB.
Coming out with the shocking revelation that drugs are available outside the most reputed educational institutions in Goa, in either small kiosks or with taxi and rickshaw drivers, Parsekar on Tuesday told the state legislative assembly that the records as regards no drug-related cases registered in the Vasco constituency, during past three years, till last month, should not be interpreted as the particular constituency being free from drugs.
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, who raised this question during the question hour, alleged that police are hand in glove with the drug peddlers.
In his reply, the Chief Minister said that no case had been booked by Vasco police station with regards to narcotic drug peddling and drugs usage from the year 2014 to 2016 up to July 24, 2016. “However, a case involving three accused was registered by the Vasco police on July 25, wherein Raju Golar (25) was found with 332 gm of ganja, Farhan Khan (18) was found with 256 gm of ganja and Razia Muzawar (26) was found with 225 gm of ganja, all at the khariwada jetty,” he maintained, informing that on July 27, the Vasco police arrested Subhash Sahu (18) with 16.60 gm of charas and 91.08 gms of ganja, at Zuarinagar.
“This clearly shows that even though no drug-related case was registered in Vasco for at least three years, one cannot guarantee that the port town was free from drugs during that period,” the Chief Minister observed, maintaining that most of the accused, who were caught with narcotic substances were youth, and the young generation can be completely destroyed, if the drug problem is not eliminated altogether.
“The government can tackle the drug menace in two ways, Parsekar, who hold the home portfolio said, further adding that one way is to educate youth about the ill-effects of drugs, and the second way is to maintain vigilance on the drug trade in the state.
“I have already discussed this issue with the police officials and the government will handle this issue with iron hand,” he assured.
NT Network Goa News
Lobo in his question had asked whether the government is aware of the increase in number of drug peddlers in the state which adversely affects the future of the youth. To this, Parsekar, who also holds the home portfolio, replied in affirmative.
To a query as whether the government has any plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Goa, Parsekar said that at present no such proposal has been received by the home department.
Parsekar also listed out steps the government has taken to control and stop the drug peddling and trafficking.
“The Goa police have taken various awareness programmes through lectures in colleges, information by means of radio, print media, electronic media etc to educate youth, students and general public regarding ‘ill-effects of drugs’,” Parsekar said adding that “the government of Goa has formed an anti-narcotic taskforce committee comprising members of various law enforcement agencies for better cooperation and coordination and to exchange intelligence and combat trafficking of drugs”.
He also said that regular day and night patrolling is maintained in and around the beaches, kiosk, shops, hotels, markets and other crowded places.
Parsekar informed that 119 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act in the last 27 months.
In 2014 (from April), 37 cases; in 2015, 61 cases while in 2016 (upto June), 21 cases have been registered.
In yet another written reply to a question of MLAs – Digambar Kamat, Vijay Sardesai and Atanasio Monserrate – on the report of the House committee on the drug mafia-police nexus, the Chief Minister said that it has been referred to the anti-corruption branch, directorate of vigilance by the home department in September last year for further action in the matter.
During the assembly session in March this year, Parsekar in a written reply had said the House committee report was moved to the ACB in September last year in order to conduct the investigation in the said matter.
However, no investigation was conducted by the ACB in the matter, as the same was beyond the scope of the ACB.
Coming out with the shocking revelation that drugs are available outside the most reputed educational institutions in Goa, in either small kiosks or with taxi and rickshaw drivers, Parsekar on Tuesday told the state legislative assembly that the records as regards no drug-related cases registered in the Vasco constituency, during past three years, till last month, should not be interpreted as the particular constituency being free from drugs.
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, who raised this question during the question hour, alleged that police are hand in glove with the drug peddlers.
In his reply, the Chief Minister said that no case had been booked by Vasco police station with regards to narcotic drug peddling and drugs usage from the year 2014 to 2016 up to July 24, 2016. “However, a case involving three accused was registered by the Vasco police on July 25, wherein Raju Golar (25) was found with 332 gm of ganja, Farhan Khan (18) was found with 256 gm of ganja and Razia Muzawar (26) was found with 225 gm of ganja, all at the khariwada jetty,” he maintained, informing that on July 27, the Vasco police arrested Subhash Sahu (18) with 16.60 gm of charas and 91.08 gms of ganja, at Zuarinagar.
“This clearly shows that even though no drug-related case was registered in Vasco for at least three years, one cannot guarantee that the port town was free from drugs during that period,” the Chief Minister observed, maintaining that most of the accused, who were caught with narcotic substances were youth, and the young generation can be completely destroyed, if the drug problem is not eliminated altogether.
“The government can tackle the drug menace in two ways, Parsekar, who hold the home portfolio said, further adding that one way is to educate youth about the ill-effects of drugs, and the second way is to maintain vigilance on the drug trade in the state.
“I have already discussed this issue with the police officials and the government will handle this issue with iron hand,” he assured.
NT Network Goa News
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