Meghalaya Govt to come up with drug policy

Shillong Sept 26:  The Meghalaya government informed in Assembly that it is in the process of finalizing a drug policy to tackle drug menace in the state.

However the Opposition urged the state government to take up with the Centre to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 so that the narcotic division of the state police department can be further empowered.

Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA, George B. Lyngdoh, social welfare minister, Kyrmen Shylla said that the drug policy is in the process of finalization and approval by the state government.

The draft policy was first submitted to the government on January 25 this year and returned to the department on February 9 for correction.

Shylla said, on May 4, the department submitted the draft policy but it was again returned on August 23 for incorporating views and suggestions from different departments including police, heath, education and others.

Lyngdoh also sought the intervention of the chief minister on the need to move the Centre for amending the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 as at present, the act which is applicable to drug traffickers has some lacunae.

“To book an accused under this act, that person should possess a considerable quantity of drugs. In other countries, upto 1 gram of substance that is confiscated is punishable upto 10 years. But here in our country, it is 1 kg and with only two months imprisonment. Therefore we can move a resolution to urge the Centre to amend this Act to further empower the narcotic division of the state police department,” Lyngdoh said.

In his reply, chief minister, Conrad K. Sangma assured to examine the proposal while expressing concern over the drug menace especially in the last few years.

“The previous government had tried to move this policy, and we are also committed to ensure the policy is in place,” Conrad said.

The Chief Minister informed that there were 17,833 drug users in the state as per a study conducted during 2008-09, while admitting that drug issue is a challenge for the state.