THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its wide range of proposed campaigns against drug menace, the Left government in Kerala on Tuesday convened an all-party meeting to discuss various aspects of the drive, being launched on October 2 and requested the support of everyone cutting across politics.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired the meeting, said the anti-drug campaign, beginning next month, would be made a continuous process and further procedures would be finalised after evaluating the first phase which extends up to November 1.
Detailing various steps, he said awareness would be intensified among students and teachers in schools and campaigns would be taken up among migrant workers in their own language, a CMO statement said here.
Enforcement units like police, Excise, narcotics cell and so on have already stepped up their intervention and laws have been made further stringent to ensure rigorous punishment to the culprits, he said.
A data bank of those involved in drug cases has already been prepared.
If a drug case is filed, information related to a similar case, in which the accused were involved, would also be submitted before the court, which would be helpful to ensure stringent punishment, he said.
Pointing out that the number of drug cases has increased in the state, Vijayan said the usage of substances like synthetic drugs is a major threat and abuse is prevalent among both men and women.
Special committees have been formed at the state, district, panchayat, ward and school levels as part of the awareness drive and it should be ensured that representatives of all political parties are part of them, he said.
The participation of eminent persons from various fields should also be made in it, Vijayan added.
Detailing various programmes scheduled by the government for one month as part of the anti-drug campaign, the Chief Minister also requested all political parties to ensure the active involvement of their representatives in it.
Leaders of various political parties and others who took part in the meeting assured their complete support for the government's drive, the statement added.