State BJP asks govt to intensify efforts against drug trafficking

SHILLONG, June 27: The State BJP has called on the government to deploy all available resources to tackle the drug menace in Meghalaya, emphasising the need for tangible results.
BJP chief spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang highlighted the high rate of drug trafficking in the state, particularly in Shillong. “The party urges the government, including the police, to use every resource and means at their disposal to control this menace, which has affected the lives of many youths and has adversely impacted numerous families, thereby afflicting our entire society,” he said.
While acknowledging the Social Welfare department’s efforts through the DREAM project, Kharkrang stressed the need for more substantial action and insisted that government efforts must yield concrete outcomes.
“BJP Meghalaya wholeheartedly applauds the recent police crackdown on drug traffickers in the Polo area and at the state’s entry points, leading to the arrest of one of the kingpins, Maya Gowla, from Khliehriat,” he added.
Kharkrang expressed support for the police’s use of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which allows for the preventive detention of habitual offenders and major traffickers for periods ranging from one to two years.
“This will allow investigative agencies to complete their probes within the mandated period, ensuring that by the end of the detention period, the trial would be concluded and the offender duly convicted,” he explained. “Such a step will ensure that major traffickers remain in judicial custody for longer periods, thereby discouraging others from committing such crimes.”