Gujarat Dy CM reviews law and order, calls for stepped-up action against drugs

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Saturday held a meeting with senior police officials to review the state's law and order situation, with a particular focus on intensifying the campaign against drug abuse and strengthening public safety.

In a post on social media platform X, Sanghavi said: "Held a meeting with senior police officials to review the law and order situation and discuss strategies to further strengthen public safety and security. Special emphasis was laid on intensifying the fight against drug abuse and advancing our collective commitment towards a 'Drug-Free Gujarat'."

The meeting comes a week after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a high-level review meeting with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Sanghavi in Ahmedabad on November 7 to assess the state's law and order and internal security situation.

During the meeting, Shah discussed a range of issues, including narcotics trafficking, cybercrime, police modernisation, border and coastal security, counter-terrorism, illegal migration, disaster management and the implementation of the new criminal laws.

Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the state Home Department and various security agencies also attended the meeting.

With Gujarat sharing an international border with Pakistan and having a coastline of nearly 2,340 km, Shah stressed the need to strengthen border and coastal surveillance and improve coordination among the Border Security Force (BSF), state police, Coast Guard and central agencies.

On the drug menace, Shah directed the state and central agencies to target entire trafficking networks and their principal operators rather than restricting action to small-time peddlers.

He also emphasised financial investigations to identify and seize assets generated through the illegal trade.

Shah called for a strict approach to controlling narcotics and intoxicating substances as part of the national target of achieving a drug-free India by 2029.

He also directed the expansion of the '1933' control room and intensified enforcement drives by all relevant agencies, alongside public awareness programmes.

The Home Minister also reviewed the state's implementation of the new criminal laws, appreciating the state's performance in filing 92 per cent of chargesheets within 60 days and 86 per cent within 90 days.

He further appreciated the deportation of 2,412 illegal foreign nationals through special drives.

Among other directions, Shah called for strengthening the capacity of the S4C and the 1930 cybercrime helpline, reinforcing counter-terrorism agencies and expediting the identification and deportation of illegal foreign nationals in accordance with the law.

He also stressed faster disposal of more than 25,000 pending forensic cases.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Shah directed central and state agencies to work in close coordination and regularly review progress against set targets, reiterating the commitment to "building a secure India through a safe, developed and drug-free Gujarat".

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