THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Excise Minister M Liju on Friday said the state government is planning a comprehensive modernisation of the excise department. In a meeting held at the Excise Headquarters here, the minister said that anti-drug enforcement and awareness activities across Kerala will be intensified.
The minister said that the government has a clear vision regarding reforms in the department and a brief outline of which was included in the governor’s policy address in the assembly on Friday.
Highlighting the growing challenge posed by narcotic drugs and substance abuse, M Liju said the excise department currently faces certain limitations in effectively tackling the menace and stressed the need for structural and technological changes. “Awareness campaigns and rehabilitation programmes are equally important in combating the drug menace,” he said, in a press release issued here.
The minister said the department requires additional vehicles, advanced test kits and blood sample testing systems to strengthen enforcement activities. He also called for the setting up of model excise offices equipped with intelligence tracking systems, digital surveillance facilities and secure storage mechanisms for seized contraband.
M Liju said anti-drug awareness activities under the Vimukthi Mission should be expanded through people’s committees at the ward level to ensure wider public participation. “Being a coastal and port state, the state should be prepared to tackle international-level drug threats by 2031,” he said.
In view of World No Tobacco Day and the reopening of schools, the department has decided to intensify statewide inspections in the coming days. “The department will also strengthen efforts to identify and crack down on major drug suppliers operating in the state,” he said.