Shopian, May 23, KNT: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday joined an anti-drug march in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, where participants pledged to eliminate narcotics trafficking and related networks from Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the gathering, Sinha said the growing public campaign against drugs reflected a wider social awakening and a collective determination to confront narcotics-related crime.
“This collective resolve heralds the dawn of a new era. From every lane and by-lane of the Union Territory, voices are rising in unison, demanding that not a single drug smuggler be spared,” Sinha said.
He said the campaign, which began 43 days ago in Jammu, had evolved into a mass movement drawing participation from different sections of society across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Lieutenant Governor said the fight against drugs had become a public responsibility and was no longer viewed as a distant or isolated problem.
“It is now firmly etched in the minds of our people that this is not a distant issue but a challenge confronting us at our very doorstep, one we must face head-on with courage and resolve,” he said.
Highlighting the security dimension of narcotics trafficking, Sinha said proceeds from the drug trade were being used to fund terrorist activity.
“The poison of drugs is diverting our youth from the path of progress. Terrorist groups use proceeds from drugs to buy weapons, and with those weapons the blood of ordinary Kashmiris is being spilled,” he said.
Issuing a strong warning, the Lieutenant Governor said anyone found connected with drug networks, including public officials, would face strict legal action.
“Whether an official or anyone in public life, if they are in any way connected to the drug network or lend it support, they will face strict legal consequences,” Sinha said, adding that any such influence within the system would be “mercilessly cut out without hesitation.”
Sinha said drug smugglers and traffickers had built criminal networks by exploiting vulnerable youth, asserting that authorities were dismantling such structures through sustained enforcement.
According to figures shared by the Lieutenant Governor, authorities have registered 797 FIRs and arrested 894 alleged drug smugglers and peddlers during the past 43 days. He said 59 traffickers were detained under PIT-NDPS provisions, while 81 properties allegedly built with proceeds of drug trafficking had been demolished. Authorities have also attached 101 immovable properties and seized additional assets worth crores, he said.
He further said 457 driving licenses had been suspended, recommendations made for cancellation of passports of 22 alleged smugglers, and registration cancellation proposed for 606 vehicles. Sinha said over 5,641 drug stores were inspected, leading to suspension or cancellation of licenses of 268 establishments and registration of FIRs against six drug stores.
The Lieutenant Governor said more than 7,000 women’s committees had been formed in Jammu and Kashmir and emphasized the need to strengthen and support these groups in anti-drug efforts.
He also said a comprehensive rehabilitation policy was being prepared to support drug-dependent youth through treatment and reintegration.
“Our aim is not only to free addicted youth through de-addiction programs but also to reintegrate them into the mainstream by providing employment and jobs,” he said. [KNT]
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