DH NEWS SERVICE
new delhi, Sept 16
Emphasising that no country can progress well if its youth is not protected against drug abuse, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday exhorted authorities to do everything possible to make India a drug-free nation.
“We have a huge young population. In case the drug abuse grows beyond a certain limit, it would take a very long time to overcome its impact. Therefore, this is the time to fight strongly against it to prevent the destruction of lives and future generations,” he said.
Shah stressed that protecting the younger generation from drugs is vital to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a fully developed India by 2047, and noted that the proximity of global drug-supply hubs poses a significant challenge. “Modi ji presented a concept of building a great, fully developed India by 2047. To build such a nation, it is essential to protect our young generation from drugs. The concept of any great state and its foundation rests on its young generation,” he said. Addressing the inaugural session of the second National Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of States and UTs in the national capital, the minister outlined strategies to dismantle drug networks, enhance extradition processes, and streamline deportation mechanisms to combat the menace effectively.
He also talked about three types of drug cartels operating in India – at entry points, the distribution networks, and the local retail chains.
He asked Heads of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of States and Union Territories (UTs) to use drones and other technological tools to survey and detect cannabis farming and destroy it within one month of sowing.
“There are three types of cartels: one that operates at the country’s entry points; the second that distributes drugs from entry points to the states; and the third that operates within the states and supplies drugs to local ‘paan’ shops or street corners where they are sold to the public. It’s time to deal with it effectively, and I believe it can happen only when the people sitting here decide that this fight is our fight,” he said.
The Union Home Minister further called for stronger collaboration with other international agencies to facilitate the extradition of drug traffickers operating from abroad.
He also announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs would soon issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline deportation processes.
“Deportation and extradition of fugitives are very important. Now, the time has come to bring people who engage in illegal drug businesses here, while sitting abroad, within the net of our law.
Themed ‘United Resolve, Shared Responsibility’, the two-day conference is holding a comprehensive review and analysis of the collective efforts made by all stakeholders involved in combating the drug menace.
