MPs demand more action to deal with menace of drug abuse

Cutting across party lines, members in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday demanded more action to deal with the rising menace of drug abuse in the country.

Participating in a short-duration discussion in the House on the drug-abuse problem in India and steps taken by the government to control it,  TMC’s Saugata Roy asked whether the government is thinking of capital punishment in cases of possession of drugs. He also wondered why there are lot of drug consignment seizures at Mundra port in Gujarat. “All drug dealings are happening through darkweb or crypto currency. What is the government doing to deal with this,” Roy asked. He said government steps are inadequate and “we want a national movement” for removal of this menace. “We also need an urgent action by the government of India,” he added.

 Rahul Shewale (SS) suggested the government to take steps to stop sale of certain cough syrups that are being sold without a doctor’s prescription.  Flagging the issue of alleged suicide of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, he asked “What is the status of CBI inquiry” on his death. AIADMK’s member P Ravindranath asked the government to make it mandatory for schools to teach children about ill-effects of drugs. He also asked for amendment in laws and setting up of a national monitoring committee. TDP’s K R Naidu too demanded more steps to deal with this menace. Congress member R Unnithan said Rajput’s suicide was attributed to drug abuse and it shows how drug abuse is affecting poor and celebrities both. BJP members Dilip Saikia, Som Parkash, Jagdambika Pal and Ratan Lal Kataria stated about steps taken by the government to contain drug abuse in country.  Saikia said that as against the arrest of 1363 drug peddlers and smugglers during 2000-2013, 4880 people were arrested during 2014-2022.