HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday directed officials to examine the possibility of enacting a new law to deal more stringently with drug-related offences and proposed setting up a Traffic Management and Road Safety Bureau to improve traffic management and strengthen road safety.
Reviewing traffic management, road safety and anti-drug measures, Revanth said the government was committed to eliminating the drug menace and would introduce stricter regulations to curb it.
Helplines, QR codes proposed to tackle campus drug abuse
As part of a three-pronged strategy to tackle drug abuse in educational institutions, Revanth directed officials to identify students using drugs, provide rehabilitation and de-addiction support, and take action against suppliers.
He said educational institutions should obtain declarations from students on drug use and be held accountable for preventing abuse, with principals made responsible in government institutions. Officials were also asked to examine rules to fix accountability for any drug-related incident on campus.
The chief minister also proposed a mechanism to identify and report drug-related activities outside campuses. Schools and colleges, he said, should establish dedicated units to monitor behavioural changes among students and detect substance abuse early. He also suggested installing toll-free helplines and dedicated QR codes on campuses to encourage reporting.
Revanth further directed officials to consider sending first-time offenders to de-addiction centres instead of imposing immediate punishment, while prescribing stricter penalties for repeat offenders.
CM seeks smarter traffic management
On road safety, he asked officials to undertake a comprehensive study and finalise the organisational structure of the proposed Traffic Management and Road Safety Bureau, which would review traffic management measures.
Stressing that enforcement alone cannot solve traffic problems, Revanth directed officials to prepare traffic management plans based on weather conditions, office hours and peak traffic before taking up new infrastructure projects.
Signal-free roads proposed
Expressing concern over frequent accidents on the Outer Ring Road, Revanth said indiscriminate parking was a major cause and directed officials to prevent vehicles from stopping along the corridor.
He also proposed developing signal-free roads in the Core Urban Region through underpasses and elevated corridors, while asking officials to ensure smoother traffic flow at junctions and study a smart traffic signalling system.