Team Herald
PORVORIM: While stating that the total drug arrest cases this year have almost jumped by 2.6 times of the annual average, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the year 2018 will be dedicated to anti-drugs and anti-accidents mission.
Parrikar, who is also minister for home, however, claims that the drug issue is not “as deep as it is portrayed”.
Parrikar also said that a detention centre will be made operational by January to deport foreign nationals overstaying illegally in the state. Government also proposes to set up detoxification centre for those addicted with drugs, he said.
“Goa being a worldwide tourist destination, lakhs of tourists –both international as well as domestic — visit the state every year and are the major target of drug peddlers. It is also learned that in these days, the drug dealers are using foreign tourists who are addicts to sell drugs,” said Parrikar while replying to a calling attention raised by MLA Pratapsingh Rane concerning the growing number of drug cases
“The Drug cell (ANC) is very small. We need to strengthen it. The current strength is only 30 and we need to increase it to 100. We will also take on board some experts having knowledge of drugs as new drugs are being introduced in the market. We need to track that,” Parrikar added.
He further said that the government is also planning to launch an online portal where people can file complaints in regard to drug-related issues and we will ensure that secrecy of the complainant is maintained.
Parrikar said “I am trying to set up or re-active de-addicted centres for those addicted with drugs. From January we are also making the detention centre active which will come up in Mapusa. The construction is complete. We will put the foreigners involved in such activity in the detention centre and later deport them.”
Claiming that the students, who are addicted to drugs, go for theft, the chief minister said the government will revamp the existing counselling scheme and introduce the scheme right from school to colleges.
Meanwhile, Parrikar claimed the government has identified hotels and joints where drugs are available.
“Seventy such places are identified. Late night parties will not be allowed in these places and will also put these 70 establishments under backlist,” Parrikar added.
As per the official details, a total of 158 cases were booked in which 179 persons were arrested out of which 63 are Goans, 79 non-Goans and 37 foreigners.
The Deputy Speaker, Michael Lobo, while raising the issue of drugs also claimed the police need to reach the root cause on drugs. Lobo also said that music should not be linked with drugs.
“The police only catch hold of the small sellers and not the main dealers. There are students from Africa who come to India on student visas while taking fake admissions in colleges across country and then they land in Goa. The African nationals are the people who are main dealers of drugs,” said Lobo
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao said that there is lot of money in the drugs while claiming that the growth of terrorism in the country is basically due to drugs.
“Many senior police officials are involved and the government needs to act. Drugs need to be stopped and also rave parties, which have large supply and consumption of drugs, need to end,” Churchill said.
