KOLKATA: After Balurghat in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday once again supervised the destruction of around 3.10 lakh bottles of a banned cough syrup worth about Rs 31 crore by driving a roller over several samples at Eco Park in the Bidhannagar area.
The Chief Minister also said that his government has adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards harmful drugs. On September 2, Suvendu had kicked off a destruction drive involving about two lakh bottles of a banned cough syrup in front of the office of the superintendent of police (SP) in the district. He had also driven a roller over a portion of the bottles during the destruction of the banned item stacked there in front of the SP office.
On Wednesday, while participating in a similar anti-drug programme organised by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate at Eco Park in New Town under the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, Suvendu said that his government’s top priority is to make Bengal a drug-free state. Drug addiction was among the factors contributing to serious crimes, including those against women, according to him.
Speaking after taking part in the destruction drive involving around 3.10 lakh bottles of a banned cough syrup worth Rs 31 crore, he said his government was committed to making the state ‘Nasha Mukt Bengal’. The drive is part of the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat-2029’ programme being implemented across the country.
“Nasha Mukt Bharat is equally important for West Bengal because the crimes which have taken place in this state in the past, including the Baruipur incident, we have found that people who do drugs regularly are behind these barbaric acts, especially in crimes against women,” he said while speaking to reporters after the programme.
“Today, I took part in the second major anti-drug drive. It’s an attempt to convey a message in connection with the Prime Minister’s Nasha Mukt Bharat programme,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister said drug addiction was also affecting families and society at large.
“Society, family and altogether are getting affected because of these drug addictions. It’s almost five months that we have come to power in West Bengal, and we have given it top priority,” he said, adding that the BJP government has taken up the issue seriously in the state.
According to him, multiple agencies, including the BSF, West Bengal Police, STF, Narcotics Control Bureau, Kolkata Police and other Central Government organisations, were working together to curb the drug menace.
“Today, we destroyed around 3.10 lakh bottles of illegal cough syrups worth Rs 31 crore here. This is a big success. The government would continue its drive against drugs,” he said.
Referring to the seizure of nearly two lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in South Dinajpur, he said the pharmaceutical company concerned had given the state government an undertaking that its products would no longer be sold directly or through its local depot to dealers.