The Supreme Court on Monday sought a report from the government on the status of compliance of its directions on creating exclusive storage facilities for seized narcotics and drugs and the setting-up of drugs de-addiction centres.
The bench of Chief Justice T.S.Thakur, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud sought status report on the implementation of its January 28 direction, asking the central and state governments to create facilities for exclusive storage of seized narcotics and drugs to prevent their theft and pilferage with a designated officers for each of the storage facility.
The court order came in the course of the hearing of a PIL by Mumbai-based lawyer Vineet Dhanda who had urged the court to direct the central government to take immediate steps to enact new law and frame guidelines to control the problem of rising drug addiction, drug trafficking and drug peddling in every part of the country.
Besides other directions, he has also sought direction to the central and the state governments to take strict action against the educational institutions in which cases of drug addiction and drug peddling are reported.
Drawing attention to the menace of drug trafficking, Dhanda said consumption of heroin across the world stands at 340 tonnes and seizure stands at 430 to 450 tonnes per annum. He sought steps to prevent re-circulation of seized drugs in the market.
The top court asking the status report on the compliance of its directions assumes significance as on January 28, it had said: "The central government and its agencies and so also the state governments shall within six months from today take appropriate steps to set up storage facilities for the exclusive storage of seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic and controlled substances and conveyances."
Directing the creation of exclusive storage facilities, the court had said: "The menace of drugs in this country has alarming dimensions and proportions... (Studies have shown) that the menace is deep-rooted not only because drug lords have the money power and transnational links but also becau se the enforcement agencies like police and at times politicians in power help them in carrying on what is known to be a money&n bsp;spinning and flourishing trade."
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The top court had then laid down an elaborate procedure for the storage and destruction of the seized narcotics and to prevent their theft and pilferage.
--IANS
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