CM Jagan directs officials to make Andhra narcotics-free in 3-4 months

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, directed the officials of the excise department and the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) to formulate strategies to free the state of the narcotics menace in the next three to four months.

At a high-level review meeting at his Camp Office at Tadepalli attended by the deputy CM and Excise Minister, K Narayana Swamy, the Home Minister, Taneti Vanitha, and senior officials, the chief minister told the officials of both departments to meet every Tuesday to strategise on measures to eradicate the manufacturing and supply of illicit liquor and narcotics in the state.

Hoardings in front of colleges

He instructed them to put up hoardings in front of every college and university in the state displaying the SEB’s toll-free number 14500 to create awareness and make colleges narcotics-free in Andhra Pradesh. He wanted to ensure that no student in the state used narcotics.

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The CM told the officials to identify alternative sources of income for those who raised ganja but gave it up, like starting a dairy farm.

Jagan said that the role of SEB was not limited to liquor, and he told the officials to take strict action against those involved in narcotics, ganja, and gutka. He told them to make the best use of the local intelligence (surveillance).

Disha Act and app

He further directed the officials to improve the performance of 15,000 women police (Mahila police) working at the village and ward secretariats. He said that Andhra Pradesh is the only state where women police are appointed in the secretariats, and urged the officials to use their services and set a new standard in the country.

He told the officials to implement the Disha Act and app in an effective manner by enhancing the downloads of the Disha app, utilising the services of the Mahila police in implementing the Act, and conducting mock drills to ensure quick responses to calls received through the Disha app.

A recent report by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stated that the largest amount of narcotics in the country was seized in Andhra Pradesh in 2021-22 (18,267 kg), followed by Tripura (10,104 kg), Assam (3,633 kg) and Telangana (1,012 kg).