Shimla, Mar 23 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Monday decided to debar individuals involved in the smuggling of Chitta (adulterated heroin) from contesting the upcoming panchayat elections.
This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here.
They decided to introduce a bill in the current assembly session that bans individuals involved in Chitta trading from contesting the Panchayati Raj elections.
The panchayati raj elections in the state would be completed before May 31. There are a total of 3,577 gram panchayats in the state.
Chitta (Diacetylmorphine), a semi-synthetic opioid, mainly derived from heroin, is highly dangerous and lethal as the consumption increases with the passage of time and its overdose could even result in death, as per officials.
Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh said that the government is preparing to introduce provisions under which individuals accused in cases involving chemical drugs — such as Chitta and LSD will be barred from contesting elections.
The Minister said that it is imperative to prevent such individuals from attaining positions of power and influence to curb the growing menace of drug abuse.
Talking to the PTI videos here, he said that action has already been initiated against employees across various government departments and other individuals in numerous cases, while the police continue to conduct sustained campaigns against drug-related activities.
He disclosed that discussions regarding this proposal have already been held with the chief minister and the relevant government departments. The government is currently working on formulating the necessary legislative provisions to implement this measure.
The Minister also clarified that this regulation will not be limited solely to Panchayati Raj Institutions; rather, there are plans to apply it equally to urban local bodies, specifically, elections for Nagar Parishads (Town Councils) and Nagar Nigams (Municipal Corporations), he said. PTI BPL HIG HIG
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