Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said making the state drug-free would be a top priority of his government, asserting that drug addiction was among the factors contributing to serious crimes, including those against women.
Speaking after taking part in the destruction of around 3.10 lakh bottles of a banned cough syrup worth ₹ 31 crore at Eco Park in New Town, Adhikari said his government was committed to making the state ‘Nasha Mukt Bengal’. Because of these drug addictions, “Society, family and altogether are getting affected.
“Nasha Mukt Bharat is equally important for West Bengal because the crimes which have taken place in this state in the past, including the Baruipur incident, we have found that people who do drugs regularly are behind these barbaric acts, especially in crimes against women,” he said. The chief minister said drug addiction was also affecting families and society at large. It’s almost five months that we have come to power in West Bengal, and we have given it top priority,” he said. Referring to the seizure of nearly two lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in Dakshin Dinajpur, Adhikari said the pharmaceutical company concerned had given the state government an undertaking that its products would no longer be sold directly or through its local depot to dealers. He said the government would continue its drive against drugs. The chief minister also said authorities had achieved success in a recent seizure of yaba tablets and arrested a person from Assam in connection with the case.
