Avail every legal measure to assail bail orders in NDPS cases: Chief Secretary

Srinagar, Oct 23: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Wednesday impressed upon the law enforcement agencies to avail the legal provisions to assail bail orders under NDPS cases so that convicts are not let free after undergoing lighter punishments.

Chairing the 11th UT-level NCORD Committee meeting, the chief secretary while addressing the officers, emphasised the aspect of not giving leeway by showing any kind of laxity towards making convictions, submitting challans in the courts of law and carrying out quality investigations in each case.

He directed the concerned to take stringent measures against the business establishments dealing with drugs to comply with provisions of installation of CCTV cameras and resorting to Computerised Billing System (CBS) exclusively.

The chief secretary said that no pharmacy should be allowed to function without such facilities, especially in urban areas and licences of these drug stores should not be renewed before showing full compliance with these rules.

He enquired from each Deputy Commissioner (DC) and respective Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) about the details like detentions, seizures made, properties attached, licences of pharmacies suspended and cancelled, repeated offenders arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA), persons bailed out from courts, and those successfully convicted in the court of law.

The chief secretary also took notice of the properties belonging to drug traffickers attached by the law enforcement agencies under relevant provisions of law and the red entries made against same in the revenue records reflecting these attachments.

He enjoined the concerned DCs and Police authorities about the measures taken towards creating the necessary awareness and establishment of additional Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATF) in their areas.

The chief secretary asked about the functioning of drug de-addiction centres and the status of IPD services extended in each of them.

He stressed that the departments like Police, Health, School Education, Rural Development Department and Excise Department to run regular campaigns to inform people, especially the youth of this menace.

The chief secretary called for generating awareness about the treatment methods and major signs so that parents can take appropriate measures to save their loved ones from getting consumed by the hazards of drug addiction.

He impressed upon the DCs to furnish details of agricultural lands put into use for sowing alternate crops that were earlier used to grow illicit crops like hemp or poppy.

The chief secretary also directed making serious efforts to rehabilitate the victims and focus on hotspots to eradicate this menace in its entirety from J&K.

The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, Home, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, ADGP Crime, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, ADGP, Jammu, IGP Kashmir, Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare, Secretary, RDD, Secretary, Law, DG prosecution, Deputy Commissioners, District SSPs, representatives from BSF, ED, SIA and other senior civil and police officers.

Outstation officers attended the meeting through video conferencing.

On the occasion, a detailed presentation was made by the Crime Department providing an overall scenario of the drug menace in J&K and the success with which it is being tackled by the administration.

The meeting was also apprised of the status of actions taken by the concerned over the directives passed by the Chief Secretary during the previous meeting.

It was revealed that the NDPS court at Srinagar had recently been made functional. It was added that the IPD facilities have been established by the Health Department in all the seven Medical Colleges of J&K besides many other de-addiction centres of the districts.