Jairam Thakur Slams Government Over Rising Drug Menace in Himachal
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has raised serious concerns over the growing drug menace in Himachal Pradesh, urging the government to take decisive action. Addressing a press conference in Dharamshala, Thakur accused the state government of not being serious about tackling the issue, despite the alarming rise in drug addiction cases.
Arvind Sharma
Feb 17, 2025 06:55
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Dharamshala, February 17, 2025: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has raised serious concerns over the growing drug menace in Himachal Pradesh, urging the government to take decisive action. Addressing a press conference in Dharamshala, Thakur accused the state government of not being serious about tackling the issue, despite the alarming rise in drug addiction cases.
He cited recent reports of four youth deaths due to drug overdose in the last three weeks and pointed out that the state assembly has officially confirmed 11 drug-related deaths since the formation of the Sukhu government until July 31, 2024. However, Thakur claimed the actual numbers are much higher, as social stigma prevents many cases from coming to light. "The fight against drug abuse must be decisive and immediate," he asserted.
Highlighting efforts made by the previous BJP government, Thakur said, "Our government launched the ‘Himachal Drug-Free App’ to facilitate public reporting of drug dealers. It was downloaded by 50,000 people, and over 4,000 complaints were acted upon by the police." He also mentioned a dedicated helpline under the Chief Minister Seva Sankalp, ensuring direct intervention by the Drug Prevention Committee.
However, Thakur alleged that after the change in government, the Drug Prevention Committee was rendered ineffective, weakening the fight against drug trafficking. He further stated that the BJP government had collaborated with neighboring states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Rajasthan, to curb interstate drug smuggling. As part of this initiative, Nurpur was upgraded to a police district to enhance vigilance in border areas.
Thakur reiterated the BJP’s commitment to eradicating drug addiction from Himachal Pradesh and assured full support to the government in this mission. He urged immediate, stringent measures to prevent further loss of young lives to drug abuse.
