Chandigarh: Punjab is suffering from severe drugs menace but state Chief Minister seems more concerned about distracting focus of media and public discourse against drugs.
Captain Amarinder Singh was initially not ready to admit to the severity of drugs menace. But even when he admitted it under public pressure, he raked up non-issues, apparently to defocus the drugs issue.
Instead of acting against drug lords, he announced to get Punjab police employees dope tested. As opposition leader and even his own colleagues, including Rana Gurjit Singh are raising questions regarding need and authenticity of these dope tests, Punjab CM is buy in defending the announcement.
Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh [File Photo]
According to a press release issued by Punjab CMO, ‘Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday defended his decision on dope test for government employees and police personnel, saying such tests were also conducted in the Army, as a precautionary measure’.
Earlier Punjab CM had announced to propose death punishment for drugs paddlers as his government’s “strict step” against drugs smugglers. But the move soon got exposed as it was noticed that the NDPS Act already provides for death sentence for certain offences. The proposal was also rubbished by jurists, legal experts, criminal psychologist who maintained that provisions of death penalty does not help reducing the crime rate.
Punjab CM also dubbed the drugs menace as a more social problem that needs collective social efforts, which no body denies. But while saying so he attempts exonerate his government from its prime responsibility of controlling the drugs paddling and attesting the kingpins of illicit drugs trade in the state.