Students are the "soft targets" of local and international gangs who sell Mephedrone, raw material for which is manufactured locally, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was told today.
"Raw material for Mephedrone or 'Meow Meow' is manufactured locally. Students and educational campuses are soft targets of local and international drug syndicates, especially in cities like Mumbai and Pune," the Minister of state for Home Ranjit Patil said while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.
He said Mephedrone was cheaper than cocaine and heroin.
The minister said since the MD drug was included in the NDPS (The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, violation of the provisions would result in the conviction of offenders from minimum 10 to maximum 20 years in prison, apart from fine.
"The drug, which was available at Rs 1200 per gm as against Rs 8000 per gm of cocaine, is now available at Rs 2500-Rs 3000 per kg," Patil said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said the Nigerians and Bangladeshis who overstay in cities after expiry of their visas should be checked.
He also said Goa has become a manufacturing hub of the drug.
In his response, the minister said the police would conduct combing operations to check whether Nigerians and Bangladeshis are overstaying.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Housing Ravindra Waikar announced an SIT probe after the BJP MLA Ashish Shelar claimed the builders had availed incentive FSI (Floor Space Index) in 432 housing projects in Mumbai, but did not transfer flats to Mhada (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) and the legal owners.
Waikar told the House that government will issue notices to developers who have not taken up redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings in the island city even after ten years.
He said out of 432 projects, permissions for construction are in various stages of processing in 103 projects.
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