Gangtok: Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay spoke about the ‘zero tolerance’ policy of the Sikkim government towards substance abuse and trafficking on Friday at the 19th annual conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India zone-III at the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
Golay shared Sikkim’s drug policy with the nation’s foremost parliamentarians and regional lawmakers at the valedictory function of the conference. He said, “Drug abuse is not limited to a specific location but spread across the world. We are working hard to make Sikkim a drug-free State. We have a zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse and peddling as drug trade is also a threat to national security.”
Drug abuse was one of the three topics for discussion among the delegates at the two-day conference attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya as the chief guest.
The Chief Minister informed that fast-track courts are being set up to handle drug-related cases. “Collective efforts are needed to root out substance abuse as it is not possible for the government to achieve this target alone.”
In his valedictory remarks, Golay spoke about the steps taken by the Sikkim police and concerned agencies to stop drug abuse and peddling in the State. He spoke about the public sensitization campaign conducted by Sikkim police among the students and other stakeholders regarding drug abuse.
Similarly, Sikkim Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya in his valedictory address stated, “Due to drugs and alcohol, youths fail to join the mainstream of the country or even if they do, their presence is negligible. So it is time that the legislators identify the root of this issue and take steps to uproot them completely.”
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Acharya called upon to fight this social problem together on the one hand and the other hand, suggested stricter law enforcement, better rehabilitation centres and more sports complexes for the youth to deal with the growing menace of drug abuse. “By working together, we can reduce the harm caused by drug abuse,” asserted Acharya.
Sikkim CM mentioned that the topics for the CPA conference were relevant and noted that serious discussions among the legislators and presiding officers took place on both days. “I look forward to a strong policy in the coming days based on the conclusions and discussions of this conference,” said Golay.
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