The Haryana government would consider making drunken driving, which results in the death of the victim, a non-bailable offence to keep a check on the increasing number of road accidents, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma informed the state Assembly here today.
Responding to concerns raised by Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal that drunk drivers, who cause accidents, often escape with minor punishment, Sharma assured the member that the state government will consider making drunken driving a non-bailable offence.
Dalal had said that the state should frame its own law to make provisions of harsher punishment for those caught driving in a drunken state and causing fatal accidents.
The Congress member had asked a supplementary question as part of his calling attention notice, in which he had raised the issue of illegal sale of liquor or opium and other drugs, being rampant in the state, especially in the rural areas and that there was no check by the authorities, according to the opposition legislator.
Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala, who is senior INLD leader, said that incidents of addiction to drugs among youth, including teenagers, were witnessed in his home district Sirsa.
He said in some cases chain snatching incidents were directly related to drug addiction, as addicts indulge in petty crimes to get easy money for their ill-habits.
In his reply to the calling attention notice, Ram Bilas Sharma said that during the year 2017, a total of 14,668 criminal cases have been registered against persons indulging in illicit liquor trade, almost all the accused persons have been arrested and the smuggled liquor has been seized.
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During this period, a total of 8,84,256 bottles of smuggled licit liquor, 38,702 bottles of illicit liquor, 7,61,047 bottles of English wine, 73,910 bottles of beer and 22 working stills have been seized.
The state government is extremely serious on the matter of illicit sale as well as the illicit use of intoxicating substances such as liquor, opium, poppy husk, ganja, charas, heroin and smack.
"It is incorrect to state that there is no check on this menace by the concerned authorities.
lnfact, a multi-pronged approach has been adopted on the issue by the authorities with a view to prevent, detect and punish the criminals indulging in such illegal activities," Sharma told the House.
During the year 2017, a total of 2,247 criminal cases have been registered against narcotic drug criminals.
Almost all the accused have been arrested and quantity totalling 86.28 kg opium, 124.736 kg charas, 9549.65 kg poppy husk, 9.494 kg smack, 4367.881 kg ganja and 3.918 kg heroin has been seized from them, he said.
Sharma said that efforts were being made to educate the general youth regarding harmful effects of the narcotic substances and to channelise the energy of the youth in constructive activities so that their future is protected.
The state government has also established a Special Task Force (STF) on October 3, 2017 with a view to detect and investigate various criminal activities including manufacture and supply of narcotic substances and drugs, illicit arms and counterfeit currency, cases of extorting and kidnapping and abduction for ransom, and cases related to terrorism or having interstate ramifications.
The headquarter of STF has been set up at Gurugram and one IG rank officer has been made as in-charge of the STF.