New Delhi, Dec 3: During a hard-hitting supplementary question at Question Hour, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused the Punjab government of gross misuse of Central funds meant for fighting the drug menace in the state.
The House also took up the grave issue of drug abuse among schoolchildren in Bihar despite the state’s complete liquor prohibition policy. “Sir, this year the Enforcement Directorate had raided as many as 22 de-addiction centres in Punjab and found that many of these government-funded centres have themselves become drug suppliers,” Swati Maliwal, who has been at loggerheads with her party AAP over various issues.
Swati Maliwal alleged in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour that while the Punjab government spends crores of rupees on large hoardings and advertisements projecting a “drug-free Punjab”, the ground reality remains grim.
She sought a direct reply from the Centre: “Is there any mechanism through which the Government of India can ensure that funds released to Punjab are used exclusively for de-addiction work and not diverted?” Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B.L. Verma acknowledged the severity of the drug crisis.
“Punjab is indeed facing a serious drug problem; even jails are not spared. The Centre has already established de-addiction centres in 10 districts of Punjab and more are being planned,” he informed the House. Assuring strict action, he said, “We are taking serious note of the misuse and will intensify monitoring and coordination to ensure funds are utilised properly.”
In another intervention, Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan (Chhattisgarh) raised alarm over rising drug abuse among schoolchildren in Bihar despite the state’s complete liquor prohibition. “Bihar is a dry state, yet drugs are easily reaching children. How is this happening?” she asked.
The Minister clarified that narcotics control primarily falls under the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Ministry of Home Affairs, but his ministry works in coordination with 15 ministries. “We are running awareness and de-addiction programmes in Bihar and will further strengthen them,” he added.
–IANS
