Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 12 (ANI): The Assam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the decisive initiative undertaken by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma towards the eradication of narcotic substances through a large-scale destruction drive.
According to a press release, senior State BJP spokesperson Brojen Mahanta commended the CM for his resolute leadership in intensifying the State’s campaign against drug trafficking and abuse.
The Chief Minister on Sunday formally inaugurated the narcotics destruction programme at the premises of the 14th Assam Police Battalion at Daulashal, Nalbari, in the presence of Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah and Narayan Deka, MLA of the Barkhetri Legislative Assembly Constituency.
During the programme, narcotic substances valued at ₹472.51 crore were destroyed. The Assam BJP informed through a press communique issued from its headquarters, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan, that similar district-level narcotics destruction programmes will also be conducted at the respective district police headquarters across Assam as part of the statewide initiative led by the Assam Police.
Addressing the gathering at Daulashal, the Chief Minister stated that narcotic substances worth over ₹1,000 crore are seized annually in Assam. He reaffirmed that the Assam Police has been relentlessly pursuing drug traffickers and assured that the campaign against the narcotics trade will be intensified further in the coming days.
Sarma also announced that a state-of-the-art drug incineration machine, provided by the Government of India, has been installed at Daulashal.
Over the next ten days, the facility will be used to destroy seized narcotic substances comprising, 58.88 kilograms of heroin valued at ₹118 crore; 37,796.34 kilograms of cannabis (ganja) valued at ₹189 crore; 229,449 bottles of cough syrup valued at ₹23 crore; 496,712 tablets/capsules valued at ₹20 crore; 79.77 kilograms of opium valued at ₹4 crore; 39.07 kilograms of morphine valued at ₹40 crore; 1,870,922 methamphetamine tablets valued at ₹75 crore; 3.2 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at ₹5 crore; 0.05 kilograms of cocaine valued at ₹24 crore; 4.62 kilograms of opium plants valued at ₹2.5 crore; and 9.49 kilograms of poppy straw valued at ₹2 crore, the release said.
Highlighting the achievements of the State’s anti-drug campaign, the Chief Minister informed that over the past five years, the Assam Police has registered nearly 3,300 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and seized narcotic substances worth more than ₹3,227 crore.
He further noted that, under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Government of India has established a robust inter-state coordination mechanism to strengthen the nationwide campaign against drug trafficking.
The CM also observed that, following the formation of a BJP government in West Bengal, the number of criminals using Assam as a transit corridor for trafficking narcotics to other States has declined.
Reiterating the Government’s firm resolve to eliminate the scourge of drugs from Assam and the nation, Sarma asserted that the BJP Government remains fully committed to building a drug-free society and warned that the strictest legal action will continue to be taken against all those involved in the illicit narcotics trade. (ANI)