The High Court has directed the Union ministry of home affairs to examine a proposal submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir government on setting up drug de-addiction centres in various districts of the state.
"Urgent steps are required to be taken on this extremely serious matter. The government of India shall examine the issue in terms of order dated 4.4.18, passed by this court, and file response within four weeks," the court said.
A division bench issued the direction after senior additional advocate general B A Dar informed the court that a communication with regard to release of funds for establishing drug de-addiction centres in the state stands already submitted to the MHA.
Dar informed the court that the director general of police, J&K, has addressed a letter to the joint secretary (J&K affairs), Union ministry of home affairs, requesting release of funds for establishing 23 new drug de-addiction centres in the state.
Earlier the court had added MHA as party respondent through its joint secretary, (J&K affairs) and asked it to respond to the State's proposal.
The status report filed by the government revealed that a 19-member committee has been constituted to draft a drug de-addiction policy for the state and later a sub-committee comprising three members was also constituted.
"It is unfortunate that despite the matter remaining pending for the last 13 years, even a policy on a critical issue of drug de-addiction has not been framed till date," the court said.
"We fail to understand what funds are required to frame the policy on drug de-addiction. In absence of a drug de-addiction policy, there cannot be any projection with regard to the manner in which the project would be conceptualised, including the geographical distribution and location of the de-addiction centres," the court said.
