We have to make MP drug free: Chouhan

Bhopal: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that we have to make Madhya Pradesh drug free. People involved in the drug trade are the most deadly and dangerous criminals and the most stringent action should be taken against them.Properties of such persons should be identified and confiscated. The chief minister was addressing a state-level meeting of Narcotics Coordination Mechanism held at Mantralaya on Wednesday.He said best practices and innovations to prevent drug menace adopted by other states should be implemented in MP. A massive public awareness campaign should be launched in the state to make the youth aware.Chouhan said that it is necessary to run an intensive campaign to save the youth from drug addiction. Activities should be conducted in schools and colleges at the beginning of the next academic session the youth should be administered an oath not to take drugs. Drug de-addiction centers should be operated in the state as per the requirement.It was informed in the meeting that in the Drug-free India Campaign, the state has been declared the first and Datia as the best district in the country by the social justice department of the central government. Action was taken by registering 4,740 crimes under the NDPS Act in the year 2022 and arresting 5,673 accused. Satellite mapping of opium belts is being done in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Ratlam. Information about the confiscation and disposal of smack, opium, ganja, doda chura, heroin etc. and the action taken against illegal liquor and drinking alcohol in public places and driving vehicles after drinking alcohol was also given in the meeting.Home minister Dr Narottam Mishra, chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, director general of police Sudhir Saxena, representatives of national agencies related to Narcotics and officers of health, social justice and industry departments attended the meeting.