Concerns were raised in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, 31 July, about children falling into the trap of drugs, with Congress member T Subbaram Reddy saying that 25,000 school-going children in Delhi are addicted to drugs.
Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, he added that the police has turned a blind eye to the menace of drugs. He said that the easy availability of narcotics is destroying the lives of many innocent children not only in Delhi but across north India.
He said that although 83 percent of those addicted to drugs are educated, the state governments aren’t able to curb the menace due to the drug mafia’s presence.
He said that the issue was recently deliberated upon by the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
He expressed concern over drugs being smuggled into India through countries such as Pakistan and Nigeria, and said that coordination between agencies other than NIA is needed to tackle the matter. Many members agreed with the demand to check the increasing menace of drugs in the country.
Meanwhile, Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy raised the issue of illegal organ trade, and said that India has emerged as one of the biggest nations for organ trade with the availability of organs such as kidneys, livers and hearts.
He demanded strict action be taken against perpetrators of the crime, and said that doctors associated with the same should be dealt with in a strict manner.
He further asked for the death penalty for those involved in illegal organ trade and said a Bill should be put in place to quell the same.
A demand was made by TMC’s Manas Ranjan Bhunia to alter the criteria of physical disability to avail of various benefits to 50 percent from the 80 percent at present.
Regarding the issue, Bhunia said that the lack of support is a serious issue for those with physical disabilities and the criteria for compensation and the likes is currently applicable only in cases of 80 percent disability.
(This piece has been edited for clarity.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)