From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 20: Perturbed by the growing menace of drug abuse and addiction among the youth, particularly the students, the State Government has constituted two special teams to curb drug peddling around colleges in Bengaluru.

The teams headed by an officer of the rank of Excise Superintendent would comprise well trained personnel who would keep vigil on those who were accused in the past of drug peddling, strengthen the intelligence network to nab drug peddlers and frequently interact with Principals of the colleges, especially professional colleges to curb the drug menace among students.

The newly inducted minister for Excise RB Timmapur, who spoke to reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday, spelt out measures to fight the drug menace after chairing his first meeting to review the functioning of the department. 

With the changing trends in the profile of narcotics and the use of technology to make them easily available for the youth, the Minister said that arrangements are being made for special training of state Excise Personnel with Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of the Union government to upgrade the skills of the personnel. 

The first batch of five officers have been trained and efforts are on to send 30 more personnel for training, Timmapur said.

In 2016-17, he said the department registered 39 cases under the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances Act and arrested 28 persons and seized 504 kg of Ganja and other narcotic drugs.

Replying to a question on availability of Ganja in Hookah bars and serving alcohol for even high school students in city's pubs, Timmapur said the officials had been instructed to act against such centres.