UP Congress chief Rai writes to CM Adityanath, demands action against 'open sale of intoxicants'

Lucknow: The Congress' Uttar Pradesh president Ajay Rai wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, drawing his attention to the "open sale of intoxicants" and demanding strict action so that future generations can be saved from addiction.

Rai said incidents of open sale and use of drugs and other intoxicants had been seen in the state's urban and remote rural areas in the past few years.

Calling it "very shameful for any civilised society", he said such incidents pointed towards an administrative failure. "The youth and poor section of the state are becoming its biggest victims." The youth, who have to be part of the state's development, are ruining their and the state's future by falling into the grip of drugs, Rai said in the letter.

"The poor section, which is somehow feeding their family in this period of inflation by working as labourers and toiling all day, is also ruining their family by falling into the grip of drug abuse," he added.

The situation is such that the common people know which intoxicant is available in which street of cities and villages but police don't, he alleged.

"That is, all this is happening with the knowledge (protection) of the police," Rai said.

Reports and news related to the matter are being published continuously in all reputable newspapers and the entire state is aware of it. Only the police system is unaware, he charged.

"Or it can be said that even on such a serious issue, the administration and the police system have fallen asleep like Kumbhakarna," the Congress leader said.

Rai also demanded that Adityanath intervene and take strict action so that "our future generations can be saved from getting into the quagmire of drugs".

In a related development, a meeting of the state-level committee of National Narcotics Coordination Portal (NCORD) was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh.

Singh said that by running a campaign, hotspots around schools, colleges and hostels should be identified and strict action taken against those consuming and buying or selling narcotics.

It should also be ensured that hotspots are not created at other places after the action, he said.

Meetings of NCORD's district-level committees should be held regularly. All the departments concerned should regularly organise de-addiction awareness campaigns so that the public is aware of drug abuse in society, the chief secretary said.

According to an official statement, the meeting was informed that 212 hotspots were identified and, after action, the number had declined to 44.

A total of 607.11 kilogrammes of illegal drugs was seized and 231 persons were arrested.

Till November, 5,631 cases were registered, 7,334 persons arrested and 46,773.24 kilogrammes of illegal drugs was seized.

The Anti Narcotics Task Force registered 117 cases so far this year, 260 accused were arrested and 12,693.38 kilogrammes of illegal drugs worth Rs 130.88 crore was seized.