Drug menace hot topic during Panchkula advisory committee meet
Panchkula, July 27
The matter of supply, availability and ways to control drug menace remained a hot topic during the meeting of Panchkula Development Advisory Committee held on Saturday. The meeting was led by Panchkula MLA and Assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta, Panchkula ADC Sachin Gupta, DCP Himadri Kaushik and other officials of various departments along with residents of the city from various walks of life. The members also discussed the scenario of drug abuse at drug de-addiction centres, issues of stray animals, proliferation of slums and others.
Members pointed-out that the supply of drugs remained constant in the city. They said the internal sectors and industrial areas both were at the receiving end of the menace. A member said, “Individuals continue to sell paan and cigarette products from nearby schools without a check.”
Gian Chand Gupta said numerous vans are now being stationed on various roads in the name of selling herbal products. He said, “They function without permissions. In fact, they do not sell herbal products, but deal in drugs.”
He pointed-out that the peddlers have a proper network and supply drugs in small quantities to evade the law. He directed, “The police department should keep a thorough check on border areas of the city and state. All those found selling paan and cigarette products near schools should be removed at the earliest.” He also directed the police to put a check on open consumption of liquor by youths and others in market areas of Sector 16, MDC Sector 5 and others in the open in evening hours.
Plastic-free Panchkula
The congregation discussed the factual position of efforts being put-in to make Panchkula plast-free. Municipal Commissioner Sachin Gupta said the MC had issued chalans worth Rs 7.50 lakh which was the highest in the state. He said, “We have started acting against wholesale units and have shut 18 such wholesale units already.”
The MC has failed to nab any manufacturers to date.
Gian Chand Gupta directed the administration to depute officers in weekly mandis to check and issue chalans to those found supplying and using single-use banned plastics.
Waste collection, disposal
While the Municipal Corporation officials pointed-out that they have managed to reduce the number of secondary waste collection points in the city to below 40, members pointed-out the construction and demolition waste (C and D) was left lying in Sector 5 and 21 among others for long. He said the C and D waste is not lifted by contractors for long and sought a one-time cleaning action plan from both HSVP and MC. He said, “The MC had allocated a Rs 18 crore contract for lifting of waste, but the waste is being dumped within the city itself.”
Encroachments
The committee has now tasked the police department to fix responsibilities of police officers in the wake of long-standing temporary and other encroachments in the city. Gian Chand Gupta, citing the example of encroachments in Sector 25, said the police lacked action in relation to permanent removal of encroachments. He also sought the HSVP and MC to depute teams in the field to check the violations during the day from 12 PM to 8 PM.
