State govt not handling drug problem properly: Bhattal
Friday, 05/12/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
SANGRUR: While commenting on the decision of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to conduct an independent survey on drug users in Punjab, senior Congress leader and former chief minister of Punjab Rajinder Kaur Bhattal slammed the state government for not handling the issue of drug addiction in Punjab properly and sincerely.
She said that negligence on the part of the state government forced the central institution to conduct this kind of survey on drug abusers.
Bhattal also mentioned that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently expressed deep concern over the seizure of 500-kg heroin in Punjab this year.
She said that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had also expressed concern over this problem among the youth.
“Call it lack of political will, the SAD-BJP government, led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, is not at all interested to tackle the problem of drug addiction, she added.
Bhattal added that the SADBJP combine government has become a mute spectator pertaining to the problem of drug addiction in the state.
“The Badal government seems to be more interested in resorting to needless rhetoric rather than taking effective steps to resolve the problem of drug addiction in the state,” she said.
“In order to combat the problem of drug addiction in Punjab, youth of the state need opportunities and congenial atmosphere for finding work and employment to sustain themselves,” she added.
She said that it is imperative to channelise the energy of youth in the positive direction as they are important component in terms of development and for prosperity of the state.
