Panel exposes lacuna in drug policy

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday lamented that the drug policy put forth by the government is of no use.
The Committee said the social welfare department which is preparing the drug policy to address the menace of drug abuse has neither shared nor vetted the policy with the police and the law department.
“ We feel that there is no point for the government to put in place a drug policy which is not vetted, shared and advised by line departments like police and the law department,” chairman of the Committee, Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
The Committee has made it clear that it would again inquire about the status of the policy within the next 6 months even as she added that mothers do get affected when their children are victims of drugs.
It also informed that the policy is being managed at the Directorate level and the committee feels that it is not a good idea.
“ We feel that the Government should follow the pattern of Mizoram and Punjab as it is not just about dealing with de-addiction but even other matters which empower the police to be strong legally when they crack down cases of drug peddling”, she added.
The Committee also lamented that there was lack of total coordination between the police and social welfare department for ensuring that young girls are rescued from trafficking without any complication.
According to Lyngdoh, many girls were rescued from Jainia Hills recently and they were taken to shelter homes but there were no facilities even as the Committee asked the government to come out with schemes to offer alternative livelihood to girls rescued from trafficking.
She also lamented that many provisions and recommendations of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 were not in place in the state and even the District level committees and inter departmental committees are not operational
Asking the social welfare and police departments to coordinate well over the issues, the Committee was also informed that the police department suffers from the shortage of women personnel at the Sub Inspector level and woman accounts for only 2.4 percent of the total manpower of Meghalaya police and most of them are at the constable level.