Illegal drug trafficking is not just a challenge for India, but also a global problem: Amit Shah | Latest News India

Raipur's Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the illegal drug trade was not only a challenge for India but also a global problem, stressing that the country could counter this threat if it acted decisively and strategically.

Speaking at a conference on the drug-related situation in Chhattisgarh at a hotel in Nava Raipur, Shah stressed that success requires the application of four formulas: “drug detection, destruction of the drug network, imprisonment of the offenders and rehabilitation of the addicts”.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to make the country drug-free by 2047, when the country's centenary year of independence will be celebrated, and gradually this resolution has become the resolution of the 130 million people. I believe that the resolution of a drug-free India is very important to create a prosperous, safe and glorious India,” Shah said.

Illegal drug trafficking is not only a challenge for India but also a global problem, he said, arguing for the need to raise awareness about this menace.

“If we act decisively and strategically, we can win this fight,” he said, warning: “Several countries have lost their fight against it.”

The money from the illegal drug trade is not only used to destroy the youth but also for anti-state activities, he said. “It is also our national responsibility to make the country drug-free with a zero-tolerance policy,” he said.

Shah also expressed concern over the use of narcotics in Chhattisgarh.

He said, “The percentage of tranquilizer consumption in Chhattisgarh is 1.45 per cent, which is higher than the national average. Chhattisgarh borders seven states, including Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, from where drugs are smuggled.”

In Chhattisgarh, ganja consumption is at 4.98 percent, which is higher than the national average of 2.83 percent and is a cause for concern, he added.

Shah, who is on a three-day visit to the state, virtually inaugurated the zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau in Nava Raipur at the beginning of the meeting.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.