Sukhbir Badal's announcement to fight drug menance proves hollow

By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: Fighting drug menance with firm hand is one of the several false commitments made by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who also holds home portfolio. His commitment however remained a hollow claim.

Soon after names of big wigs including that of revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia figured in the drug racket allegedly run by Jagdish Bhola, Sukhbir Badal announced to set up Drug Control Bureau. At the same time Punjab police had lauched crackdown on peddlers and addicts which incidently also ended with arrest of end user drug addicts. Not even a single influential drug peddler was put behind bars.

It was in June 2014 when Deputy Chief Minister had announced to set up drug control bureau with four units at Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Four months have lapsed but state government has failed to issue any notification for setting up the Bureau, a leading newspaper published from Chandigarh reported today.

It is understood that Sukhbir Badal had announced the formation of drug contgrol bureau just to defuse the pressure by media and public against the Akali leaders extending support to drug smugglers. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has indeed stayed the proceedings in trial court against the accused arrested by Punjab Police including Jagdish Bhoa and Jagjit Singh Chahal. While Bhola had named Bikram Singh Majithia as key player of drug racket, Chahal was also said to be an old associate of Majithia.

According to reports, few officers including an officer of IG rank have been posted to manage the Bureau without giving them statuary powers. The Bureau is withoout office and vehicles. A senior police officer said that Punjab Police was itself competent to counter drug menance if given free hand. No arrest could be made without the prior permission from Halqa Incharge of SAD.

Not only this, the SAD-BJP government has also rejected the resolutions passed by hundereds of village Panchayats who have opted not to open liquor vends in their villages. The Excise and Taxation department has turned down the plea. H.C.Arora a social activist and leading lawyer has issued a notice to Punjab Government seeking to accept the demand for not opening liquor vends in villages where Panchayats have passed resolutions in this regard.