CHANDIGARH: Bir Devinder singh, former deputy speaker of Punjab today said that the drug menace in Punjab assumes horrendous dimension which certainly entail a full scale structural debate on the issue, in the ensuing two days Punjab legislative Assembly session. The opposition parties represented in the ‘House’ usually grumbles over the short sittings of the Vidhan Sabha session but do not make a grade in providing buisness to the house. Thus providing business to the house is left only with the Government and they get an excuse to scuttle debates in the House.
In a statement he said that all the opposition groups in the Vidhan Sabha should jointly send a notice to the Speaker quoting the rules of procedure and conduct of the business of the House, for fixing a time slot and date for a full scale structural debate on the issue of drugs menace in Punjab. Let the Hon’ble Speaker discuss the matter with the Government and seek their opinion on the issue and decide the matter in his own wisdom before 2nd of August 2019.
It is important to mention here that when Capt. Amarinder Singh swore by 'Gutka Sahib' (Breviary of Daily Sikh prayers) at Bathinda before the Assembly elections, to finish the Drug menace in Punjab within two months time after becoming the Chief Minister. It is all the more relevant to mention here that at that time the synthetic drugs were clandestinely sold in Punjab in a smaller quantity of grams but now in two years time Drug trade has enormously flourished and the quantum of its distribution in Punjab has assumed frightening magnitude. It is shocking to my consciousness that the onetime recovery of a consignment of heroine, having the horrific quantity of more than five quintiles; which was being smuggled from Pakistan, speaks volumes of inept handling of drug menace in Punjab. Unabated shuffling of STF Chief, many a times itself sounds outrageous and scandalous. It is certainly indicative of very strong presence of the nexus of the drug trade having the connivance of the police officials from top to bottom enjoying the political patronage of all hues.
Bir Devinder Singh stated that situation in the police headquarter has reached such an embarrassing pass that Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had to publicly reprimand the police officers, who were spreading canard with regards to the current posting of the STF Chief. Drug menace in Punjab would have reached to a halt by now if not eradicated completely; had the first STF Chief not dislodged from the challenging job assigned to him. Why the top echelon of the police brass fettered all the initiatives of the STF Chief is a million dollar question that only Chief Minister Amarinder Singh could answer if he is honest to his job, otherwise the naked truth would remain a story untold for all time to come. The current STF Chief should be given full autonomy , not only to deal with drug mafias but also to expose and unmask the strong nexus of the Drug mafia and between those donning the police uniform.