Chandigarh: Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the fight against drugs is not merely a law-and-order issue, but a campaign to protect society, values and humanity. He said that drugs are destroying numerous families and pushing the future of the youth towards darkness. Therefore, giving this fight the shape of a people’s movement through public participation is the need of the hour.
The Chief Minister was addressing the “Ek Police, Ek Sankalp – ‘Drug-Free Haryana’” programme organised at the Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban, Karnal, on Saturday as the chief guest. The dialogue programme, held with all Station House Officers (SHOs) of Haryana Police, aimed to further strengthen the resolve to make the state completely drug-free and to formulate an effective strategy in this direction.
CM Congratulates 70 Super-100 Students
The Chief Minister congratulated the 70 students of the Super-100 programme who have successfully cleared the NEET examination and secured admission to medical colleges. He said that most of these students belong to economically weaker and ordinary families. Their success is the result of the government’s efforts to provide quality education and better opportunities to meritorious students.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released the quarterly magazine of the Police Department. The magazine highlights the department’s major achievements and important operations, including the extradition of criminals from foreign countries and their return to India.
Every Police Station Should Become a Centre of Social Transformation
The Chief Minister said that every police station should not remain confined to maintaining law and order, but should also become a centre of social transformation. Station House Officers should establish regular dialogue with schools, colleges, panchayats, voluntary organisations, religious organisations and youth clubs in their respective areas and motivate young people to stay away from drugs and crime.
He said that today, the drug trade is reaching the youth through modern technology, social media and organised crime. Therefore, the police must also remain alert, proactive and capable in accordance with modern technology. Merely arresting drug traffickers is not enough; it is essential to dismantle the entire network. At the same time, strengthening trust between the police and the public is equally important.
The Chief Minister said that along with effective action against drugs, equal attention must be given to awareness, sensitivity and rehabilitation. Only when the police, families, teachers, doctors, social organisations, women and youth come together and work collectively will the goal of a drug-free Haryana be achieved.
He said that keeping Haryana’s youth away from drugs and connecting them with sports is a priority of the government. Haryana is to be made a hub of sports so that the youth, instead of falling prey to drugs, take to the field and win gold medals for the country. Healthy, disciplined and sports-oriented youth will be the greatest strength in building Viksit Bharat.
Anti-Drug Task Forces to be Formed at Every Level
The Chief Minister said that Anti-Drug Task Forces would be constituted at the state, district, subdivision, block, village and ward levels. These task forces would include public representatives, Station House Officers, officers from the Health, Education and Social Welfare Departments, voluntary organisations, social organisations, youth and women’s groups, chemists’ associations and eminent citizens, so that a comprehensive social campaign against drugs could be conducted.
He called upon the Station House Officers to work with honesty, transparency and sensitivity and said that if every SHO resolves not to allow the drug trade in his area, there will be no place for the drug mafia in Haryana. He said that the police uniform is a symbol of service, discipline and patriotism, and its dignity must be upheld under all circumstances. The Chief Minister said that to realise Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat-2047, it is essential for the youth to be healthy, aware, drug-free and connected with sports. He called upon all police officers to make the ‘Drug-Free Haryana’ campaign a people’s campaign and play an active role in building the bright future of the state.
Chief Minister Announces Several Measures on Demands of Police Officers
During the interaction with police officers, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini made several important announcements on various suggestions and demands related to the department. He said that the amount available under the Investigation Head would be increased to Rs. 10 crore so that Investigation Officers (IOs) could be provided with the necessary resources for the effective implementation of the new criminal laws.
He said that a separate reward policy for Haryana would be formulated for police officers who perform outstanding work against drug traffickers. For this purpose, the reward policies of other states would be studied and a policy suited to Haryana would be prepared.
The Chief Minister said that a software-based end-to-end monitoring system would be developed to prevent the misuse of dual-purpose drugs. Until the system is developed, necessary directions would be issued to all concerned officers to effectively curb the misuse of such medicines.
He said that the government was also considering better management of the work of Group-D employees. For this purpose, software would be developed to ensure that duties are assigned to employees in accordance with their qualifications and skills.
The Chief Minister said that deputation of Medical Officers from the Health Department would be ensured to provide better healthcare facilities to police personnel and their families. At the same time, the Social Welfare and Health Departments would be directed to prepare a detailed proposal for establishing modern drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in every district of the state, with priority given to particularly sensitive districts.
He also said that a meeting would be held with representatives associated with print, electronic and social media, as well as content creators, to seek suggestions on effectively curbing the glorification of gangsters and criminals. A decision on issuing the necessary advisory would be taken thereafter.
Making another important announcement, the Chief Minister said that Station House Officers who successfully make their respective areas effectively drug-free would be honoured by the government after due verification. He said that this initiative would promote healthy competition among SHOs and give fresh momentum to the Drug-Free Haryana campaign.
On the occasion, Director General of Police Sh. Ajay Singhal said that the department was continuously conducting special campaigns across the state against drug traffickers and taking effective action to dismantle their networks. He said that the police was not only taking strict action against drug traffickers but was also creating awareness among the youth and the general public about the harmful effects of drugs through various awareness campaigns. He also provided information about various campaigns being conducted by the department and their achievements.
MLA Yogendra Rana, Mayor of Karnal Renu Bala Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Sudhir Rajpal, Director of Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban Kala Ramachandran, Director General of Police, Haryana State Enforcement Bureau, Navdeep Singh Virk, Pankaj Nain, along with senior officers and personnel of the Police Department, were present on the occasion.
