PORVORIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday claimed that his government has zero tolerance against drugs in the State even as Goa, being an iconic tourist destination, is prone to use of recreational drugs by tourists, like any other tourist destination.
Replying to a starred question tabled by Sant Andre MLA Viresh Borkar regarding drug-related cases in the Legislative Assembly, Sawant said that the Goa Police are alive to such possibility and many drug cases have been booked in villages. However, no drug case has been booked or come to notice in any school or college across the State.
There are no identifiable hot spots in the State for drug-related activities. However, there is a higher incidence of drug cases in coastal areas where there is an influx of tourists and accordingly the number of cases booked is on the higher side in such areas.
To curb this tendency, District Police, Anti Narcotic Cell (ANC) Police and Crime Branch keep surveillance in coastal areas, he said.
But Borkar claimed that there are incidents of drug seizure in and around school and college campuses and cited a case of drug seizure in a boy’s hostel booked by the Agasaim police. There are also reports of drugs manufactured in the State, he alleged.
The Chief Minister further informed Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai that the Goa DGP had written to his Hyderabad counterpart following the allegations by the latter that Goa police are not cooperating with them in the drug nexus case. Sawant said, “Our
DGP spoke to Hyderabad DGP (C V Anand) and also wrote to him, but there has been no reply from Hyderabad DGP for the last three months.”
