STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has spelt it out in no uncertain terms that the State government has adopted a zero-tolerance and no-compromise stand against criminals and drug dealers; and will keep that tempo up, come what may.
The Chief Minister said this on the floor of the State Assembly on Wednesday while reacting to the issue of drug menace in the State raised by AGP MLA Pradip Hazarika during the Zero Hour.
The statement came close on the heels of severe criticism to the government by a section of people for the recent police-criminal encounters in the State.
The Chief Minister said, "The government has adopted a zero-tolerance stand against criminals and drug smugglers. If anybody criticizes the government for such a stand, I'm ready to face that. However, I make it clear that besides freeing the State from the drugs menace, we will no longer allow it to remain a drug transit route.
"When a criminal attempts to snap weapons from the police and flee, the police personnel will have to fire at him. I've instructed the police personnel to take any action in such situations within the parameter of law. In the past two months, while seven criminals sustained injuries, one died in police firing while they were making attempts to flee from custody.
"The drug menace in the State is much bigger than what we anticipated. If we can't tackle it now with an iron hand, the situation will become more dreadful. The quantity of drugs that the police seized in the past two months is just 20 per cent of what is available in the State. The market involves crores of rupees and people from extremists (not ULFA) to police personnel. Apart from hospitals and jails, there was home delivery of drugs in the State.
"When the government has waged such a big war against criminals, a section will always be there to demoralize the police forces. However, so long I'm the Chief Minister, I won't let the government compromise with criminals.
"In the past two months, we've seized 27 kg of heroin, 41 kg of opium, 12,883 kg of ganja, 3 kg of morphine and around 14 lakh tablets of different brands. In 2016, the police seized 5 kg of heroin against 27 kg of it this year, so far. It shows the increase in the inflow of drugs to the State.
"Since the drug menace has its roots in the bordering areas of the neighbouring nations, I've joined hands with my counterparts of the neighbouring States to fight it out. The Centre is also taking up the issue with Myanmar.
Recently the Manipur government handed over the kingpin of rhino poaching to us.
"When I took charge as the Chief Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah advised me to fight against drugs, cattle smuggling and trafficking. Now I've realized how dreaded these three menaces are.
"Drugs have spelt doom for many families in Assam. It has raised the crime rate in the State. Some extremists (not the ULFA) engage drug addicts in their operations. I hope, the pace at which the State police are fighting the menace, we will wipe it out in the next two or three years."
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