SHILLONG, Sep 9: In a bid to tackle the growing problem of narcotics and drug trafficking in West Shillong, a high-level meeting was chaired by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, along with the Dorbar Shnongs of the West Shillong constituency, on Monday.
The constituency has emerged as a hotspot for drug-related activities, leading to mounting tension within the local community.
“The backdrop of the meeting was the increasing number of drug trafficking cases, which has caused significant unrest within the community,” said Lyngdoh.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Home (Police) department, including SP ANTF, SP City, the Joint Secretary of Law, officers from the Social Welfare department, and the Senior Engineer of the Shillong Cantonment Board.
A key focus of the meeting was addressing rampant drug-related activities in specific localities within West Shillong. The discussions also extended to the larger issue of drug trafficking spreading across the city.
Lyngdoh emphasised that a major contributor to the rise in drug trafficking was the lack of responsiveness from the Shillong Cantonment Board in addressing the issue of settlers within its jurisdiction.
“A very major factor leading to the spurt in drug trafficking cases is the fact that areas under the Shillong Cantonment Board have not been responsive and have not been able to tackle the issue of settlers within their jurisdiction,” he stated.
As part of the suggested solutions, the minister recommended bringing the Cantonment area under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) to ensure immediate registration of residents, which would allow better monitoring of individuals in the area.
Lyngdoh also highlighted the shortage of police manpower as a concern in combating drug trafficking effectively. “There is a shortage of manpower on the part of the police, but this is being addressed through the recruitment of new personnel to strengthen the police force in these highly vulnerable zones,” he added.
In addition, the formation of Village Defence Parties (VDPs) was discussed as a vital step towards community policing. At present, there are 17 VDPs in the Shillong area, and Lyngdoh urged the Dorbar Shnongs to immediately establish more VDPs to strengthen local efforts in curbing drug trafficking.
On why the focus was solely on West Shillong, Lyngdoh explained that the constituency had become a major hotspot for drug trafficking, which could potentially lead to a breakdown of law and order in the area.
“We have had discussions at various levels and will soon introduce mechanisms to intercept any consignment of drugs or narcotics entering the area. Civil society cannot work in isolation — we need the support of the police and NGOs to ensure drug trafficking cases hold up under legal scrutiny,” Lyngdoh remarked, adding that coordination between civil society and law enforcement was crucial to ensuring detention of those involved in the trade.
With regard to the MRSSA, Lyngdoh noted that while some Dorbar Shnongs had already completed the process of resident registration, it was crucial for the Cantonment area to follow suit. He emphasised the need for accurate registration in the area, which hosts diverse ethnic and migrant groups, to prevent the flaws in the current system from being exploited.
