Cops’ arrest in drug racket rocks Himachal assembly

Shimla: The arrest of four police personnel from the anti-drug special task force (STF) in Kullu over their alleged involvement in a multi-crore inter-state Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) drug racket triggered a major uproar in the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly on the sixth day of the budget session on Friday.The issue also reignited concerns over the growing drug menace in the hill state.Raising the matter during zero hour, leader of opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur said Himachal Pradesh was rapidly falling prey to drug abuse, particularly synthetic substances. He termed the incident shameful, pointing out that the police personnel responsible for checking drug trafficking were allegedly aiding it. Referring to the case, Thakur said the arrested STF personnel seized LSD worth Rs 3 crore but allowed the traffickers to go scot-free.The LoP stressed that senior police officials must thoroughly verify the background of personnel before assigning them to sensitive roles. He further accused the state govt of misusing the police force for political purposes, including surveillance of opposition leaders.The former CM also claimed that law enforcement agencies were focusing more on drug users rather than major suppliers.BJP MLA Satpal Singh Satti called for the deployment of officials with proven integrity in the anti-drug STF. He warned that without strict govt action, the fight against drugs would remain ineffective. Drawing comparisons, Satti cited strong leadership in Punjab under then chief minister Beant Singh and DGP K P S Gill in curbing militancy and of present Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in checking crime.Responding to the opposition, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said his govt was taking the issue seriously. He revealed that 11 police personnel and eight other govt employees had been dismissed for alleged involvement in drug-related activities. Sukhu further said the Shimla police were responsible for arresting the four accused STF personnel and all police personnel could not be painted in the same colour. He also countered opposition claims, stating that the drug problem did not just emerge during the last three years but persisted during the previous BJP govt that did not act. Sukhu's remarks led to sloganeering by opposition MLAs, and some even moved out of the House. The CM concluded by highlighting govt initiatives such as village-level mapping and awareness campaigns to combat drug abuse and invited the opposition leaders to also participate in walkathons.Cess on petrol, high-speed dieselThe cash strapped Himachal govt is going to levy "Orphan and Widow Cess" on petrol and high-speed diesel, not exceeding Rs 5 per litre at the point of first sale in the state. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday introduced "The Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026" in the assembly. The amount of cess collected shall be utilised for the welfare of orphans and widows belonging to economically weaker sections of society in the state. The cess will be levied and collected from every dealer by the state govt once the amendment bill is passed by the House and given assent by the governor.Power productionA total of 1.18 lakh million units of electricity were generated from hydropower projects and 467.57 million units from solar projects from the FY 2023-24 to the FY 2025-26, up to Jan 31, 2026, in Himachal Pradesh. Responding to a question by BJP MLA Jeet Ram Katwal, CM Sukhu informed the House that the hill state had the potential of generating 22,950 megawatts (MW) of hydropower, but presently nearly 13,000 MW of electricity was being generated. He added that the solar power capacity reached 188 MW in 2024-25 and was projected to increase up to 209 MW in 2025-26. The CM also said 188 hydropower projects were currently operational in Himachal Pradesh, while 24 were under construction. In addition, five projects are pending approval, six are involved in legal disputes, and another six have been found to be unfeasible. MSID:: 129703520 413 |