SHILLONG:
Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, on June 12, informed that the government will soon notify the Advisory Board to invoke the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, (PIT NDPS) Act 1988 in the state.
“A retired high court judge, Shivaji Pandey, who is also the chairman of the State Consumer Council, has consented, in writing, to be the chairman of the Advisory Board; and this clears our path to implement this act,” Lyngdoh told media persons after a meeting with government officials to discuss the rise of drug abuse in the state.
He said that so far, all the drug cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985; however, there are certain loopholes as certain sections of the act like Sec 64 A of the Act gives space to drug users escape the clutches of the law.
Lyngdoh stated that despite the presence of a much stringent act like the PIT NDPS Act 1988, it could not be invoked in the state because of the absence of an Advisory Board.
“Now that a retired judge has consented to be chairman, our next step is to notify the advisory board and these known traffickers will now be booked under PIT NDPS Act — to facilitate their detention, ensuring that they don’t secure bail for three months,” the minister said in his reply to a question about complaints that traffickers are able to obtain bail swiftly.
“Under this act, persons with known antecedents of being drug traffickers, be it big, medium or small, can be booked under this act and they will undergo preventive detention for an initial period of 3 months, which can be extended up to a year,” he said.
Lyngdoh also informed that the meeting discussed at length the need to strengthen the narcotic cells, that is currently being man by three police officials.
“Today we decided to increase the number and once the number of personnel is increased to cover all districts, then we will be in a better position to contain and control this menace,” Lyngdoh said.
A question was raised on the seizure of a huge consignment of drugs near Lumshnong in East Jaintia Hills district on June 11, and why either the police or custom officials failed to detect the consignment at the entry point like Ratacherra.
To this, the minister admitted that these are flaws in policing. “We will certainly try to plug these loopholes wherever they occur. But the fact is that a large consignment was seized proves that we are not sleeping. It is a huge consignment that would have gone to any parts of the state or gone through the state,” he said.
Underlining the fact that Shillong is the link that connect us to the rest of Northeast and it is very close to the ‘Golden Triangle’, Lyngdoh said that this is not a local issue; it is very complex and multidimensional issue. “We need to tone up policing. We will now draft rules under central act to make them stringent,” he said.
“Now, we have to strengthen and tighten the state rules which will be based on central act; they will be more stringent when it comes to applicability. We want to ensure that the state act does not speak of quantity but to ensure that any drug seized becomes punishable under the act and rules framed under that act,” Lyngdoh added.