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HT Correspondent , Hindustan Times

Chandigarh , November 29, 2014

First Published: 08:56 IST(29/11/2014)

Last Updated: 12:21 IST(29/11/2014)

NHRC: Drug menace serious concerns in Punjab

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed its grave concern

over the unabated drug menace and the large number of cases of police atrocities in

Punjab.

NHRC chairman justice KG Balakrishnan, at a press conference, said the issue of

drug supplies and addiction in Punjab was discussed with senior civic and police

officers of the state during the commission’s three-day northern regional camp sitting

that concluded on Friday.

“The source of supplies (of drugs) should also be found,” justice Balakrishnan said,

acknowledging that merely arresting addicts would not resolve the issue.

He refused to comment to a question on the politician-police nexus with drug

traffickers.

It was announced that the Punjab police had registered 1,300 cases under the Narcotic

Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and seized 500 kg heroin in 2014 so

far.

During the camp sitting, the commission heard 63 cases of human rights violation

from Punjab, 49 from Haryana, 18 from Himachal Pradesh and 2 from Chandigarh.

Senior officials from these states, including the Punjab chief secretary, appeared

before the commission.

The majority of these cases related to police atrocities, including custodial deaths

during encounters, Justice Balakrishnan said, adding that Punjab topped these four

states in number of cases of human rights violation.

Untouchability in Kangra villages of HP

In a glaring case, the NHRC had served notice to the Himachal Pradesh chief

secretary on a petition that highlighted that the people from the scheduled castes were

not allowed to enter villages — Cherna, Khadimalla, Andarmalla, Bujling, Polling

and Sudhar in Kangra district. The commission still awaited the state’s reply t.

Social boycott of Dalits in Sangrur

The commission expressed its grave concern over Punjab not responding to the

NHRC notice served in regard of the reported “social boycott” of Dalit families in

Baopur village of Sangrur district wherein the upper caste-dominated panchayat

decided to cultivate 26 acres of panchayat land, meant for the scheduled caste

families. The NHRC had served notice to reply on the situation within four weeks on

Sept 1, 2014, but a reply is awaited.

Custodial deaths in Haryana

Besides Punjab, the commission also found Haryana vulnerable to the deaths in police

custody, as the commission’s division bench and full bench heard eight cases of

deaths in police custody, due to torture or ‘in an encounter’. The SPs or the SSPs of

Rohtak, Jhajjar, Faridabad, Hisar and Kaithal appeared at the camp hearing with their

replies. Justice Balakrishnan said media should highlight cases of rights violations.

Monday, December 01, 2014

PTI Chandigarh , November 28, 2014

First Published: 19:07 IST(28/11/2014)

Last Updated: 20:53 IST(28/11/2014)

Drug addiction is 'very serious' problem in Punjab: NHRC

Describing drug addiction in Punjab as a "very serious" problem, National Human Rights

Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the state to immediately find the "source" of the menace

and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate its victims.

A full bench panel of NHRC led by its chairperson justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan held three-day

confabulations ending Friday with members of different communities, police officers and NGOs

from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh on issues concerning human rights and concluded that

"drug is a serious problem in Punjab."

Balakrishnan said that the commission categorically told officers in Punjab that drug addiction is

a very serious problem in the state.

"State (Punjab) is heading towards a serious problem," he told reporters.

Balakrishnan stressed that the state government should immediately find the "source" of drug

and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate the victims of drugs.

The NHRC chairman said that during the current year, more than 500 kg of heroin was seized in

Punjab. The street value of one kg is about Rs. one crore.

"I was told by the officers of Punjab that in 2014, 1,300 cases under the NDPS Act were

registered in the state," he said while advising the Punjab government to keep a "constant vigil"

to check the drug menace in the state.

When his attention was drawn towards alleged police-politican-drug mafia nexus in Punjab, he

said "all sections of the society are involved into it."

Describing drug as a social problem, he said that need of the hour is that each and every family

in the state act against drug.

Balakrishnan also said that several complaints of alleged police excesses were received by the

panel during the three days.

"During the course of 'open hearing' for the three days the panel received 63 complaints from

Punjab, 49 from Haryana and 18 from Himachal Pradesh. These complaints are mostly related to

atrocities by police," he said.

"All these complaints are of serious nature," he said.

Drug addiction is 'very serious' problem in Punjab: NHRC Press Trust of India | Chandigarh November 28, 2014 Last Updated at 18:15 IST Describing drug addiction in Punjab as a "very serious" problem, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today asked the state to immediately find the "source" of the menace and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate its victims.

A full bench panel of NHRC led by its chairperson Justice (retd) K G Balakrishnan held three-day confabulations ending today with members of different communities, police officers and NGOs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh on issues concerning human rights and concluded that "drug is a serious problem in Punjab."

Balakrishnan said that the commission categorically told officers in Punjab that drug addiction is a very serious problem in the state.

"State (Punjab) is heading towards a serious problem," he told reporters.

Balakrishnan stressed that the state government should immediately find the "source" of drug and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate the victims of drugs.

The NHRC chairman said that during the current year, more than 500 kg of heroin was seized in Punjab. The street value of one kg is about Rs one crore.

"I was told by the officers of Punjab that in 2014, 1,300 cases under the NDPS Act were registered in the state," he said while advising the Punjab government to keep a "constant vigil" to check the drug menace in the state.

When his attention was drawn towards alleged police- politican-drug mafia nexus in Punjab, he said "all sections of the society are involved into it."

Describing drug as a social problem, he said that need of the hour is that each and every family in the state act against drug.

Balakrishnan also said that several complaints of alleged police excesses were received by the panel during the three days.

"During the course of 'open hearing' for the three days the panel received 63 complaints from Punjab, 49 from Haryana and 18 from Himachal Pradesh. These complaints are mostly related to atrocities by police," he said.

"All these complaints are of serious nature," he said.

Politics and Nation NHRC to discuss list of 13 issues with Haryana bureaucrats in Chandigarh Raghav Ohri, ET Bureau Nov 28, 2014, 04.00AM IST

• (The NHRC, led by former…) CHANDIGARH: Haryana bureaucrats have one day to lay their hands on everything they can get regarding the rural jobs programme, power lines, irregular teachers and various other issues. The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) is in town and wants to discuss a list of 13 items in addition to hearing appeals against decisions by the state civil liberties tribunal. Some Haryana officials have been grumbling about whether all the subjects that will be part of the "discussion" come under the commission's remit. But they've gone ahead and armed themselves anyway with power point presentations and all the files that may be needed, so that the Manohar Lal Khattar government isn't caught flatfooted. Haryana chief secretary Shakuntala Jakhu has asked bureaucrats to prepare presentations on the issues to be raised in 24 hours. The NHRC, led by former chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan, is camped in Chandigarh for three days ending Friday to hear appeals against decisions by the Punjab and Haryana commissions and take stock of alleged human rights violations in the northern region.

Some of the issues on the Friday agenda include "MNREGA not functional because of lack of funds, irregular attendance of teachers, high tension electricity wire passing over a school in Mahindergarh", according to the official note sent to bureaucrats. ET has a copy of the circular.

Other than this, the commission will hold discussions with senior IAS officers of the Haryana government on "jail reforms; irregular meeting of vigilance committees; contaminated water by fluoride in Mahindergarh; female foeticide; issues related to manual scavenging and sanitation; issues related to silicosis and leprosy".

This is the first time the full NHRC, headquartered in New Delhi, is holding a three-day session to decide cases of the state human rights commissions. Apart from the chairperson, its members include retired justices Cyriac Joseph, D Murugesan and SC Sinha. The NHRC is the appellate authority for all state human rights commissions. On Thursday, the NHRC dealt with three Punjab cases covering "untouchability, social boycott of Dalits and non-availability of food for children in aanganwadis due to nonsupply of ration under the Supplementary Nutrition programme (SNP)".

Drug addiction is 'very serious' problem in Punjab: NHRC

Friday, 28 November 2014 - 6:48pm IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI

Describing drug addiction in Punjab as a "very serious" problem, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the state to immediately find the "source" of the menace and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate its victims.

A full bench panel of NHRC led by its chairperson Justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan held three-day confabulations ending on Friday with members of different communities, police officers and NGOs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh on issues concerning human rights and concluded that "drug is a serious problem in Punjab." Balakrishnan said that the commission categorically told officers in Punjab that drug addiction is a very serious problem in the state.

"State (Punjab) is heading towards a serious problem," he told reporters.

Balakrishnan stressed that the state government should immediately find the "source" of drug and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate the victims of drugs. The NHRC chairman said that during the current year, more than 500 kg of heroin was seized in Punjab. The street value of one kg is about Rs one crore.

"I was told by the officers of Punjab that in 2014, 1,300 cases under the NDPS Act were registered in the state," he said while advising the Punjab government to keep a "constant vigil" to check the drug menace in the state.

When his attention was drawn towards alleged police- politican-drug mafia nexus in Punjab, he said "all sections of the society are involved into it." Describing drug as a social problem, he said that need of the hour is that each and every family in the state act against drug.

Balakrishnan also said that several complaints of alleged police excesses were received by the panel during the three days.

"During the course of 'open hearing' for the three days the panel received 63 complaints from Punjab, 49 from Haryana and 18 from Himachal Pradesh. These complaints are mostly related to atrocities by police," he said. "All these complaints are of serious nature," he said.

Drug addiction is 'very serious' problem in Punjab: NHRC

Last Updated: Friday, November 28, 2014 - 19:40 Chandigarh: Describing drug addiction in Punjab as a "very serious" problem, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the state to immediately find the "source" of the menace and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate its victims.

A full bench panel of NHRC led by its chairperson Justice (retd) K G Balakrishnan held three-day confabulations ending today with members of different communities, police officers and NGOs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh on issues concerning human rights and concluded that "drug is a serious problem in Punjab."

Balakrishnan said that the commission categorically told officers in Punjab that drug addiction is a very serious problem in the state.

"State (Punjab) is heading towards a serious problem," he told reporters.

Balakrishnan stressed that the state government should immediately find the "source" of drug and take effective steps to re-rehabilitate the victims of drugs.

The NHRC chairman said that during the current year, more than 500 kg of heroin was seized in Punjab. The street value of one kg is about Rs one crore.

"I was told by the officers of Punjab that in 2014, 1,300 cases under the NDPS Act were registered in the state," he said while advising the Punjab government to keep a "constant vigil" to check the drug menace in the state.

When his attention was drawn towards alleged police- politican-drug mafia nexus in Punjab, he said "all sections of the society are involved into it."

Describing drug as a social problem, he said that need of the hour is that each and every family in the state act against drug.

Balakrishnan also said that several complaints of alleged police excesses were received by the panel during the three days.

"During the course of 'open hearing' for the three days the panel received 63 complaints from Punjab, 49 from Haryana and 18 from Himachal Pradesh. These complaints are mostly related to atrocities by police," he said.

"All these complaints are of serious nature," he said.

PTI First Published: Friday, November 28, 2014 - 19:40