NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file a status report on the implementation of the court’s guidelines for fool-proof storage and disposal of seized drugs to prevent theft and illegal sale that had resulted in “rampant drug abuse,” particularly among the youth in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and other states.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file a status report on the implementation of the court’s guidelines for fool-proof storage and disposal of seized drugs to prevent theft and illegal sale that had resulted in “rampant drug abuse,” particularly among the youth in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and other states.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur told the Centre’s counsel to find out from states as to what steps they had taken so far to enforce the apex court directives and file a report, particularly on the functioning of de-addiction and rehabilitation centres and destruction of the seized drugs.
The Bench passed the order on a fresh PIL by advocate Vineet Dhanda pleading for fresh laws to effectively deal with the growing menace. The court would go into the PIL after consider the Centre’s status report, it said.
A Bench comprising CJI Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph had laid down an elaborate mechanism after taking note of the fact that there was vast difference between the quantity of seized and destroyed drugs. In some of the states, the difference was to the extent of 100 per cent. Overall, only 16 per cent of the contraband seized between 2002 and 2012 had been actually disposed of.
