New Delhi
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on Wednesday claimed in the Rajya Sabha that Punjab, a state ruled by her own party, is deeply affected by drug abuse and that the de-addiction centres were found to be supplying drugs.
Admitting to the problem of drugs in Punjab, minister of state for social justice BL Verma said the drug problem was prevalent in Punjab, and his ministry was working to free the state from the abuse, claiming that drug use was there even in Punjab jails.
“Even in jails in Punjab, there is prevalence of drug use, and to prevent them we have started de-addiction centres in 10 central jails in Punjab itself to prevent drug use,” Verma said.
Noting that the matter was serious, the minister said, “It is a matter of deep concern. I will try to help find a solution to the problem of drugs in Punjab.”Raising the issue in a supplementary question during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Maliwal said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 22 drug de-addiction centres in Punjab this year and found out that these centres were not working to help people get rid of addiction but were instead found supplying drugs.
She claimed that the Punjab government is spending crores of rupees on large hoardings and advertisements for drug de-addiction, but the state is still in the grip of drugs.
Maliwal asked whether the central government can do something to ensure that the Punjab government spends the money needed for drug de-addiction, and that this problem can be addressed in Punjab, which is deeply affected by drug abuse.
She also asked the government whether any steps could be taken to ensure that de-addiction centres in Punjab focus solely on drug de-addiction.
Responding to the AAP member’s supplementary questions, Verma acknowledged that the problem did exist in Punjab and even so in Punjab’s prisons and the central government has established de-addiction centres in ten such central jails of the state.
He stated that the AAP member’s concerns about Punjab are valid, and that his ministry and he himself will work to address the issue.
Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress) also talked about rampant drug use in Punjab, and asked whether the supply of drugs was coming into Bihar, which is a dry state.
