Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, on Thursday, made a resounding call to the students of the state, urging them to play an active role in fighting the drug menace by acting watchful allies of the police.
Addressing the inaugural session of a school at Bagbasa assembly constituency, the Chief Minister said, “The whole ecosystem of drugs that grew in the last few decades in the state cannot be destroyed in just a couple of months or years. Neither the police can tackle on their own. A social movement is required to get rid of the drug menace that has already devastated many well-off households in the state”.
Recalling his experience of interacting with families affected by drug use, Dr Saha said, “When I was campaigning for the elections, a lot of my sisters told me as to how their happy families have been ruined by drugs. They wanted nothing but a solution to this problem and I had assured them that the state will never encourage drugs trafficking in its territory. Our action reflects our attitude”.
Urging the students to unmask the drug traffickers active in their area, the Chief Minister said, “The students can also play a pivotal role in the government’s drug trafficking elimination drive. If you notice any unusual behavior among your friends please raise the alarm. In many cases, small vendors close to schools are found involved in drug trade. Reveal their identity before the police if you know that. All of them would get stringent possible punishment as per the law”.
Earlier, Dr Saha inaugurated a police station at the Bagbasa area of North Tripura District. Addressing the inaugural session there, the Chief Minister discussed the importance of law and order, to create a conducive atmosphere of growth and prosperity for the state.
“For any state to grow, fixing law and order problems should be the first priority. During World Tourism day celebrations also, I tried to tell the gathering as to how an improved law and order situation has drawn appreciation from everywhere”, Dr Saha said.
Citing example of the recently concluded polls, Dr Saha said, “Both the constituencies—Dhanpur and Boxanagar are considered to be one of the most troubled areas during the elections. Barely there was any election before 2023 when rival parties did not indulge in violence. In the just concluded by-elections, not a single incident of violence was reported. The police and the administration acted strict to prevent any kind of violence and in all respect, it was a historic election”.
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The Chief Minister also said that two more battalions of Tripura State Rifles would be constituted for better law and order service which will put an extra burden of Rs 12 crore on the state exchequer.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister attended a series of events in the adjacent Unakoti district. Local MLA Jadab Lal Nath, IG Law and Order Soumitra Dhar were present at the event.
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