By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 24: Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, on Thursday, emphasised the need to structurally revamp the state police and the Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) to effectively equip them with more powers to combat drug trafficking.
“Structurally, we need to revamp the state police to give them more powers, particularly the ANTF. We have a few ideas to share with Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home, Prestone Tynsong,” Lyngdoh stated.
Regarding the Hynniewtrep Youth Council’s (HYC) call for a public march to the State Secretariat on November 8, to push for seven key demands addressing the rising issue of drug trafficking and abuse in Meghalaya, Lyngdoh said, “We have no issues with NGOs doing what they feel is necessary, as long as they stay within the boundaries of the law. We are here to uphold the law.”
Lyngdoh further explained the sensitive nature of drug trafficking, stating, “This is a very delicate issue, and as the minister in-charge, I cannot share all details with the public. There are large numbers of professional traffickers involved, and we have leads on their hideouts. We need to address the issue at its root by targeting the supply chain from the very start.”
“These are highly sensitive matters. Whatever actions we take, I cannot publicly disclose all our plans,” he added.
He acknowledged that to a casual observer, it might seem like the government is not doing enough. However, he assured, “Results are starting to show, and we will be in a better position to deal with this menace more effectively than we have in the past.”
Addressing the role of NGOs, he reiterated, “Once again, I stress that NGOs are free to protest or express dissatisfaction, but they must remain within the rule of law.”