AP’s EAGLE To Fight On Drugs

Education minister Nara Lokesh suggested several measures to wean youth off drugs in the state. He stressed the need to dedicate one chapter on the adverse effects of drug addiction in the textbooks. It should be included in the school curriculum, he said.

He was speaking at the third meeting of the ministers’ sub-committee formed to check peddling of ganja and narcotics.

Headed by Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha, the sub-committee adopted a resolution to change the AP Anti-Narcotics Taskforce into Elite Anti-narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) as per the directions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

He suggested that drones be used for identifying and destroying ganja plantations.

He also urged formation of EAGLE committees in schools, colleges, universities, villages and ward secretariats for effective check on drug peddling.

At the same time, Lokesh also proposed cutting the benefits of all government welfare schemes to the families involved in the illegal act of cultivating and selling the contraband.

He also wanted the committee to study the measures being implemented by the Punjab government to check drug menace. Media campaigns featuring influencers will also help drug addicts in giving up the habit, he felt.

Minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani said that seeds and fertilisers to grow alternative crops would be supplied free to tribals to prevent them from cultivating ganja. Other public representatives attending the meet felt that if these measures are implemented effectively, use of drugs would reduce substantially in the coming days.

Several other ministers, DGP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao and higher officials of other departments participated in the meeting.