Pramesh S Jain
Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday directed officials to take stringent measures to eradicate the drug menace and protect the youth from substance abuse, asserting that the State Government is committed to building a drug-free Karnataka.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at Vikas Soudha, attended by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh,senior police officers and heads of various departments, Kharge stressed the need for coordinated action involving law enforcement,educational institutions,local bodies and technology-driven governance systems.
The minister instructed police to take uncompromising action against drug suppliers and those involved in trafficking networks,ensuring strict enforcement of all relevant laws.
He also called for large-scale awareness campaigns on the dangers of drug abuse,extending beyond urban centres to rural areas through schools,colleges,factories and gram panchayats.
Emphasising inter-departmental coordination,Kharge said the fight against drugs cannot be left to a single department.
He directed departments including Home,Higher Education,School Education,Medical Education,Labour, Social Welfare and Rural Development to work together using advanced technology and data-sharing mechanisms.
The minister also asked officials to utilise the State’s Karnataka State Wide Area Network (KSWAN 3.0),which is being expanded to all gram panchayats, to strengthen monitoring and awareness programmes at the grassroots level.
To encourage public participation,Kharge directed that the Janaspandana (iPGRS) grievance redressal platform be further strengthened to enable citizens to report drug-related activities.
Complaints,he said,should be mapped to field-level officers and acted upon within stipulated timelines under strict service-level agreements.
He further instructed departments to accelerate Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) initiatives to simplify data-sharing and monitoring mechanisms, particularly between the Home and Education departments.
“A drug-free society requires not only effective law enforcement but also active public participation, youth engagement and proper use of technology.
Our government is committed to coordinating all departments and strengthening enforcement mechanisms to build a drug-free Karnataka,”Kharge said.
