Assam CM seeks Assembly support for 'tough action' against drug peddlers

Guwahati, Jul 7 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday urged all political parties to back the government's crackdown on drugs, saying questions raised over the police's "tough action" against drug peddlers in the Assembly dampen the morale of law enforcement agencies. Speaking during a discussion on drug abuse and trafficking in the House, Sarma said all members had pledged support to the fight against drugs, but objections were raised whenever police took "tough action" against traffickers. "All members in the House have today pledged cooperation in the fight against drugs. But when police take tough action against the criminals, questions are raised in this very Assembly on the police," he said. Maintaining that police resort to force only as a last option, the chief minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, said drug peddlers transporting contraband worth crores of rupees were often armed and open fire when intercepted. "Police have to take tough action only when they have no other option left. The Assembly has to understand and appreciate it. It can scrutinise and analyse every case, if need be. But if the cooperation and support for police sustains, they can perform better. Else, their spirit also goes down," Sarma said. He said coordinated action by the Centre and neighbouring states had strengthened Assam's efforts to curb drug trafficking routed through Myanmar. "Backend investigations into most drug trafficking cases lead to Myanmar, sometimes through Mizoram or through Manipur. Now the Centre as well as the governments of these two states are taking steps to fight this menace together," he said. Sarma also stressed the need for rehabilitation of drug abuse victims and referred to reports alleging that some rehabilitation centres had supplied contraband to inmates. "I urge good NGOs to come forward to work for rehabilitation of the victims and the government will also come up with schemes to help them financially," he said. Earlier, initiating the discussion, Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar called for more proactive measures to tackle the growing menace of drug abuse. AIUDF’s Badruddin Ajmal and TMC’s Sherman Ali Ahmed, among others, also participated in the discussion and stressed the need for intensified crackdown and tough punishment for traffickers. Replying to the discussion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika highlighted the Myanmar link to trafficking of contraband through the state. "Drugs come to the Northeast from Myanmar, and it is mostly meant for Bangladesh. That is why recovery of drugs is high in the Barak Valley districts (which serve as the transit route)," he said. Asserting that the government had intensified its anti-drug campaign since Sarma assumed office in 2021, Hazarika said the number of drug seizure-related cases had increased from around 150 in 2011 to over 2,200 in 2021 and 3,300 in 2025. Arrests in drug-related cases also rose from over 200 in 2011 to more than 4,900 in 2025, he added. In a post on X, Sarma said drugs worth more than Rs 3,253 crore had been seized and 26,537 people arrested in the state since 2021. While 4,175 people were arrested in drug-related cases in 2021, the number increased to 4,901 in 2025. Similarly, drugs worth Rs 383.64 crore were seized in 2021, with the figure going up to Rs 473.46 crore in 2025, he said. "Our relentless war against drugs is delivering decisive results. Under Mission #AssamAgainstDrugs , we have seized narcotics worth over Rs 3,253 crore and arrested more than 26,500 offenders since 2021," he said. PTI SSG SSG MNB