Make AP narcotics-free

PNS | Vijayawada

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the Police and Excise officials to work towards making Andhra Pradesh a narcotics-free State.During a review meeting on the Excise and Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) held here on Monday, he said that apart from narcotics, the Police Department should pay special attention to curbing illicit liquor completely and improving the performance of women police personnel in secretariats in a more coordinated way to ensure the effective functioning of the Disha Act and app. Mock drills should be conducted on the use of Disha app, calls and quick response, he said. There should be two meetings to review the progress.

Higher officials in the department should meet on every Thursday to conduct a video conference with the district SPs, to discuss narcotics, illicit liquor, Disha Act and app and coordination with women police of secretariats. Besides, focus should be laid on improving the performance of 15,000 women cops and ensuring the implementation of the Disha Act more effectively.He also underlined the need to increase the number of people downloading Disha app.

“The Police Department should work more collaboratively with the Excise and SEB officials to make the State narcotics-free. For this, a coordination meeting should be held every Tuesday to review the measures taken by the SEB and Excise authorities in controlling illegal liquor and curbing the cultivation of ganja. Displaying the SEB toll free number 14500, large hoardings should be erected at all colleges and universities within a month,” the CM said.

All the universities and colleges in the State should be drug-free. That should be the aim of the respective departments, he added. Stressing the need for conducting ‘Operation Parivartana’ in an effective manner, he said that alternative ways of employment like agriculture and dairy farming should be encouraged among ganja cultivators. “Be it illegal liquor, consumption of liquor in public places or selling sand at high prices, SEB officials should respond immediately to the complaint and initiate necessary action,” he said.

The role of SEB is not only limited to liquor; it should also strictly deal with narcotics, ganja, gutkas etc. by making the best use of the local intelligence (surveillance). Awards should be achieved by the department for its best practices.

Nowhere else in the country are women cops appointed in the secretariats. Their services should be fully utilised for achieving the desired results and setting a benchmark in the country.

The Chief Minister also said that 1.15 lakh families in the State had been given Recognition of Forest Rights (RoFR) certificates for 2.82 lakh acres, and directed the officials to give a report on the measures taken regarding the development of those lands. During the meeting, the officials explained to him the sale of liquor in the State, steps taken to control illicit liquor, destruction of ganja cultivation and measures taken against the growers and registration of cases.

Deputy Chief Minister (Excise) K Narayana Swamy, Home Minister Taneti Vanitha, DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue) Razath Bharagava, Excise Commissioner Vivek Yadav, SEB Commissioner A Ravi Shankar, SEB Director Ramesh Reddy and other officials were present.