Satish Handa, April 17
Like Punjab, Haryana too has started drug smuggling in a massive way. Drugs addiction among youths in Punjab was famous across the country in past years where every tenth youth in the state was seen addicted to drugs and even a film ‘Udta Punjab’ based on drugs addiction among youths in Punjab was produced in Bollywood had record earnings. Drugs addiction among youths in Punjab slowly crossed the borders and started gripping youths in Haryana when Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amrinder Singh took stern action against drugs smuggling and sale in Punjab after coming to power.
The use of drugs among youths in Haryana state witnessed drastic increase in past couple of years. Ambala been situated at or near the junction of several states turned as a hub for smuggling and supply of drugs in North at present. Punjab and Haryana High Court recently directed state government Haryana to control fast increasing smuggling and sale of drugs and register money laundering cases against all those involved in this illicit business. Double bench of Punjab and Haryana of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu has directed Haryana state government to deploy police force in plain clothes around all schools, colleges, miscellaneous educational institutes and PG Houses in the state to keep vigil on the activities of youths. The double bench also directed to improve infrastructure of all existing drug de-addiction centres functioning in every district in the state with the appointment of experienced doctors. Court directed Secretary Education to include subject on individual and social ill-effects due to use of drugs in class XI and XII study syllabus and also set up anti-drugs club in all educational institutes for minorities, managed by private committees and government under the supervision of a senior teacher or Nodal Officer to keep an eye on suspected drugs addicts and inform the parents of those students consuming drugs, if required inform police. High Court also suggested coordination between school management, police department and health department in educational institutes declared sensitive.