Make Serious Attempt To Control Entry Of Drugs In State, Keep A Vigil Over The Spread: Meghalaya HC Directs State Govt

The Meghalaya High Court has asked the State Government serious attempts to control the entry of drugs and to keep a vigil over the spread thereof. However, the Court did add that it is not equipped to advise the State on how to go about the matter.

Essentially, the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh is dealing with a PIL plea filed in connection with dealing with the drug menace in the state of Meghalaya.

Before the Court, Amicus Curiae appointed in the case submitted that drug menace in the State has reached an alarming level and unless immediate steps are taken, a generation or more may be lost to addiction.

In particular, Amicus Curiae (Mr. SP Mahanta) referred to the plight of young girls in and around Shillong and the everyday discovery of signs of drug use from all over the place, including around the golf course.

In view of this, the Court, at the outset, stressed that the Court is not well equipped to advise the state as to how to control the drug menace in the state. The Court also said that in these kinds of matters, the Court may not issue specific directions and the entire object of the exercise is to make the State aware that the menace requires immediate and urgent attention.

However, the Court did suggest the state government as to how to go about while dealing with the menace as it remarked thus:

"Whether it is by simultaneously organising awareness drives and taking exemplary measures against those peddling drugs on the streets, the State machinery has to act against the obvious kingpins and not concentrate only on the mules. The State has to use the machinery to ascertain the source of drugs and the routes that the peddlers take so that ameliorative steps taken now can save the State the cost of undertaking a massive repairwork upon the affliction becoming more widespread."

Further, reiterating its previous order of December 10, 2021, the Court also said that it is also imperative that there should be a well-equipped de-addiction centre, or several centres, to particularly cater to younger girls who may be driven towards destitution upon being addicted to drugs.

In this regard, the Court expressed a hope that both the Departments of Health and Social Welfare would do their best to address the menace in an effective manner.

With this, the Court posted the matter for further hearing three weeks [March 23, 2022.] hence so that a comprehensive course of action to be mapped out by the State and the rudiments thereof could be indicated to the Court by way of an affidavit. 

Case title - M. Kharkongor v. State of Meghalaya

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