CSOs put forward recommendations for inclusion in draft Manipur State Policy on Substance Use

IMPHAL, Sep 7
Altogether 18 civil society organisations based in Manipur put forward comments and recommendations to be included in the present draft Manipur State Policy on Substance Use, 2019.
In a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary (Social Welfare), Government of Manipur,  the CSOs said that Manipur Government should frame clear rules under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPS),1985 in the form of Manipur Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance Rules.
It lamented that investigation of drug haul of a large commercial quantity of drugs, worth over one crore in the international market, especially those involving the politically influential person/entity must be handed over to an independent agency such as NCB, CBI or NIA and that the trial of such cases should be closely monitored by the High Court of Manipur.
Constitute a Commission/Committee of various stakeholders including the Home Department, NCB, NGOs, CBOs, CSOs and experts, under article 2.8 of the present draft policy to monitor the overall “supply reduction programme”, it said appealing all concerned to strictly implement sections 46 (duty of a landowner to inform the authority of illegal poppy cultivation) and 47 (duty of certain officers to inform the authority) under NDPS Act, 1985.
The CSOs lamented that incentive in the form of an award should be instituted for individuals informing the authority of illegal poppy cultivation.
Saying that financial investigation should be mandatory in every investigation of drug haul in line with section 68 (j) of NDPS Act, it added that specific time frame should also be given for submission of expert opinion (FSL report) in cases related to drug haul.
The CSOs further urged the  State Government to set up a model drug-free village in line with objective no. 2.1 of the present draft policy.
The associations are All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA); All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU); Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL); Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup (AIMS); Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA); Community Network for Empowerment (CONE); Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM); Eramdam Kanba Abunba Lup (EKAL); Extra-judicial Execution Victim Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM); Human Rights Alert (HRA); League of Indigenous People’s Up-Liftment (LIPUL); Loumi Sinmi Apun Lup (LOUSAL) Manipur; Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK); Users’ Society for Effective Response (USER), Manipur; Women Association for Socio-Economic Development (WASEDEV); All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj (AMSRDS);  United Voluntary Youth Council (UVYC) and Bridging Sustainable Development (BSD).