BENGALURU: To control drug menace in the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a task force to curb the problem. Drug peddling will be a non-cognisable offence, attracting a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, he added.
Before announcing the “Task Force Committee”, the CM held a meeting on drug abuse with various ministers and top officials, including those from the police department. He said youth are increasingly abusing drugs, and there has been a rise in drug peddling cases and criminal activities under the influence of drugs.
The task force will be headed by Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara with six members --- Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Medical Education Minister Sharanaprakash Patil, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa and Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar. They will hold meetings with officials every month and come out with measures to eradicate drug menace.
The CM said Bengaluru accounted for 50 per cent of all drug cases in Karnataka, with Mangaluru accounting for 22 per cent. Bengaluru East division has the highest number of cases, primarily because of the supply from this area and the number of peddlers.
He said drug peddling cannot occur without the knowledge of local police and responsibilities will be assigned to station house officers, deputy superintendents of police, assistant commissioners of police, deputy commissioners of police and superintendents of police. Drugs enter Karnataka from Haryana, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, he added.
The government will also consider strengthening existing laws and enacting new laws if necessary. Drug offences should be non-bailable and drug peddlers should be sentenced to a minimum of ten years and maximum of life imprisonment, he said.
“Student police” will be formed by involving members from the National Cadet Corps, Scouts and Guides and the National Service Scheme. Residents’ associations and NGOs will also be engaged to tackle the menace, he said.
Special courts will be set up to handle these cases, and de-addiction and rehabilitation centres will be strengthened.
Parameshwara said efforts have been made to combat drug trafficking, but now, there is a concern over easy availability of painkillers from medical stores without medical prescriptions.
Discussions will be held with drug controllers on how to address legal issues. “We have effectively regulated substances like cannabis and other narcotics in the state,” he said.