8 ANTF personnel felicitated after major drugs haul in EJ Hills
Shillong, Aug 21: The state government has expressed confidence over winning the war against drugs as it quelled insurgency years ago without seeking any help from the army unlike other states in the region.
Terming the war against drugs as a matter of “kill or be killed”, social welfare minister Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday said, “We either succumb to it or we emerge victorious… I am sure that Meghalaya will turn victorious (in this war against drugs).”
The minister highlighted the state’s progress in the war as narcotics worth over Rs 400 crore was seized in the past five years.
“(This) shows that we have the professionalism, the capacity and the will power to deal with this problem and ensure that it is wiped out,” he said.
He said this while felicitating eight Anti Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) personnel following their recent seizure of contrabands worth Rs 4 crore in East Jaintia Hills district.
Expressing confidence over the police force, Lyngdoh said Meghalaya is one of the few states which had successfully wipe out insurgency solely with the help of its own police force.
“We did not call in the army when other states had to do that,” he said while referring to anti-insurgency operations involving central forces, including Army, in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Punjab, Maoist-hit region.
“Meghalaya is one of the few states that dealt with insurgency using its own police force. How many of us are even aware of that,” he said.
With Meghalaya being one of the youngest states – with 65% of the state’s residents below the age of 35 – the minister stressed the importance of investing in youth in order to safeguard them from constant attempts to drag them into the trap of drugs.
Lyngdoh assured that the memorandum submitted by the ANTF would be met with immediate funding from the DREAM project.
The minister explained the DREAM mission’s multidimensional roles, which involve close coordination between various departments, including home police, social welfare, education, health, and law. This coordinated approach aims to tackle the drug menace comprehensively.
Lyngdoh expressed his appreciation for the ANTF’s dedication and bravery in breaking the backbone of the supply chain, which has been a significant challenge due to Meghalaya’s geographical location as a lucrative transit point.
Stating that the ANTF is putting pressure on traffickers, he highlighted that the ANTF has now entered areas that were previously not attended to, such as within the Cantonment Board, which were thriving grounds for narcotics sales.
On the proposal for purchasing of vehicle scanners, the minister said the state government has already indicated its requirement and the Ministry of Home Affairs is seized of the matter.
