Meghalaya Minister Paul Lyngdoh Blames Manipur Unrest for Rising Drug Trafficking in Meghalaya
First Published: 18th October, 2024 9:46 IST
Minister Lyngdoh announced plans to visit New Delhi to brief the central government on the severity of the issue.
Meghalaya Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh has raised concerns about the increasing drug trafficking activities in the state, attributing this surge to its strategic location near the Golden Triangle and the ongoing unrest in neighbouring Manipur.
Minister Lyngdoh emphasized that the unrest in Manipur has led to a notable shift in drug trade routes, with traffickers now targeting Meghalaya.
“We are committed to eradicating the drug menace. The unfortunate thing is because of our strategic location very close to the Golden Triangle and the fact that the unrest in Manipur has led to shift of the drug trade from the particular area to Meghalaya, and that is a major challenge,” said the Minister.
In response, the Meghalaya government is intensifying efforts to combat the growing drug menace. Minister Lyngdoh announced plans to visit New Delhi to brief the central government on the severity of the issue and ensure that the leadership is fully informed of the scale of drug trafficking occurring in the state.
“I will soon provide a briefing to Delhi to ensure that leaders in the Government of India are fully aware of the seriousness and scale of trafficking occurring in Meghalaya,” said Minister Lyngdoh.
As part of these efforts, the government has appointed FG Kharshiing, a retired IPS officer and former Commandant of the 6th Battalion MLP, Umran Camp-Shillong, as the Mission Director of the Drug Reduction Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM). The initiative aims to significantly reduce and eventually eradicate the drug problem in the region.
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) is also being strengthened, with plans to establish Village Defense Parties (VDPs) in vulnerable areas.
Many Durbar Shnongs are currently forming village defence parties (VDPs). In Shillong, only 11 VDPs have been legally constituted, leaving high-risk zones without adequate legal protection.
The introduction of VDPs will provide a legal framework that works in collaboration with the police department to strengthen local efforts in combating drug-related issues.
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