Meeting on Draft State Drug Policy held in Manipur

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Wednesday deliberated on the Draft State Drug Policy, Manipur in a consultative meeting at the Human Rights Alert (HRA) conference hall at Kwakeithel in Imphal. The meeting was attended by CADA, CONE, USER, AMSU, DESAM, AIMS, AMKIL, ADVISAV, WASEDEV, IKAL EEVFAM, Lousal, LEEPUN, HRA, legal experts besides others. The consultation was convened by co-petitioners of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) number 34 of 2020 of the Manipur High Court, namely USER-Manipur, project Chaoba and HRA.

The consultation dwelled on the feasibility of the draft State Drug Policy and how far it can be implemented successfully in practice. The points of concern raised by the stakeholders focused on the grey areas particularly in inadequate mechanisms of “supply reduction”.

The inability of the present criminal justice system to convict the drug lords and to break the cartel was out in the meeting. The involvement of powerful and well-connected individuals who enjoy political patronage from key functionaries of the state was deliberated thread bare.

The need for ensuring that the present drug policy should address this issue by ensuring that the investigation and trial of the major drug haul are carried out in a free and fair manner, without succumbing to the political pressure, was emphasized in the meeting.

 The meeting decided to submit a representation to Principal Sectretary of Social Welfare, Government of Manipur V Vumlunmang  on the need forv further deliberation to ensure that the draft policy reflects these concerns after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

It was also unanimously emphasized that a collective effort of the civil society in tandem with the wishes of the masses is crucial to address and curb the menace of drugs in Manipur.                            

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