BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for his strident stand against narcotics and has set the target for a drug-free India by 2047 but his profound concern for plight of families struggling with addiction of their young children came to fore in the recently-concluded DGP and IGP conference in Bhubaneswar.
Sources said the PM got emotional when he recalled an episode of his Gujarat CM days while chairing the session on narcotics and drugs at the DGP meet here on Sunday. During the session, Modi keenly followed all the presentations of states as well as deliberations on broad measures of enforcement and awareness to combat the alarming impact of drug addiction. His take on the issue was, however, completely different.
“The PM’s perspective on the issue was very humane. He dwelt on the emotional and psychological suffering and pain the drug addiction-affected families have to deal with, especially when a youngster is the victim,” said the sources.
While offering his comments on the session, Modi revealed how a senior officer of Gujarat government had once approached him seeking voluntary retirement from service. At first, he discouraged the officer on the grounds that he was a good administrator and would not be sanctioned VRS, the sources said.
The PM recounted the officer disclosing one of his children’s struggles with drug addiction and since the family was passing through an extremely difficult phase, the said officer sought premature retirement to be able to help his child recover from the clutches of addiction.
Describing the helplessness of the officer, sources said, Modi battled emotions. He reportedly took a pause, sipped some water and then shortened his comments.
The PM advised officers to come up with plans and strategies so that drug addiction-affected families feel police, anti-narcotics officers as well as the government is standing by them during such difficult phases.
Modi has articulated his vision of a drug-free India by 2047 and called for making it a ‘jan andolan’ to fight the menace of substance abuse.
As per a government survey, over 1.47 crore adolescents in the age group of 10-17 use various psychoactive drugs – from alcohol to cocaine and hallucinogens in the country. In the 18-75 group, it is multiple times higher.
Under the NDA government, the NCB has registered 4,150 cases between 2014 and 2024 and seized over 5.43 lakh kg narcotics valued at Rs 22,000 crore.