CM Sukhu hits back: ‘We’ve declared war on drugs, not turning a blind eye’
Cabinet clears crackdown plan, mandatory Chitta tests for recruits, rehab centres in every district
Shimla, 29 July 2025:
A Week after Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla slammed the state government for its “lukewarm” response to the rising drug menace and poor rehabilitation measures, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu gave a sharp rebuttal—straight from the Cabinet table.
Chairing a crucial Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, CM Sukhu said, “We’ve adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. There’s no looking the other way. We’re fighting this battle head-on—to protect our youth from the jaws of addiction.”
The message was clear: the state government won’t take the Governor’s criticism lying down.
In a series of firm measures, the Cabinet decided that all new police recruits will undergo mandatory dope testing for synthetic drugs like Chitta, and every new government recruit must now declare they are drug-free.
“Government jobs won’t become safe havens for addicts,” Sukhu warned.
“Anyone found involved in drug activities, even if they’re in government service, will face strict action.”
This comes in the wake of the Governor’s press conference where he questioned the state’s commitment to rehabilitation and border surveillance—pointing to alleged administrative slack.
But Sukhu hit back with numbers:
In his tenure, 45 big NDPS cases have been registered,
Properties worth over ₹42.22 crore have been attached—three times more than earlier,
44 preventive detentions have been made under PIT-NDPS Act.
He also drew a comparison with Punjab, stating that “Himachal’s NDPS case share is just 9%, compared to Punjab’s 20%. We’ve kept things under control.”
To fix the rehab gap raised by the Governor, the Cabinet also cleared a ₹14.95 crore project to establish Integrated Rehabilitation Centres in every district, building on the existing centres in Kullu, Una, Hamirpur, and Nurpur.
The Health and Social Justice departments have been told to intensify treatment, counseling, follow-ups, and awareness.
Sukhu called for a coordinated war against drugs, involving Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, PRIs, civil society, and schools. He also laid stress on tight interstate border monitoring to choke drug inflow.
“This isn’t just a government battle, it’s a people’s war. And we’re not waiting for alarms—we’re already in action,” Sukhu said, subtly pushing back at the Governor’s claim of the government being “reactive.”
With this, the CM has not only put his anti-drug policy in top gear but also drawn a clear line—between facts and political noise that "Governor is making to figure in the good books of PM".
#ZeroToleranceDrugs
#HimachalFightsDrugs
#CMvsGovernor
#RehabReformPush
