Razing people's home under garb of fighting drug menace must stop: J-K health minister

Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo on Friday said demolishing properties under the garb of fighting drug menace should be stopped. Appealing to the L-G to stop bulldozing houses and properties of people, Itoo said it sends a wrong message.

Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo on Friday said demolishing properties under the garb of fighting drug menace should be stopped. The minister also claimed that while drug abuse was more prevalent in the Jammu region, the focus of coercive action was limited to the Valley. Speaking to reporters here, Itoo said while she appreciates the efforts of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha under the 'Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir' campaign, demolishing houses causes problems for the families and in turn compounds difficulties for the government. ''The L-G is making significant efforts; we all have to work towards curbing drug abuse together and I appreciate such efforts. But, people should not be made targets under this pretext. If you arrest someone (with drugs), the home department needs to check how it reached him. When you target people, demolish properties, bring bulldozers, it causes problems to the people,'' Itoo said. She said seizing or destroying properties which are not even in the name of the accused, but their families, causes suffering to the families. ''You arrest someone with drugs, and then go on to destroy the property which is not even in his name but rather in the name of his parents. It causes sufferings to the people, it destroys them,'' she said. She also alleged discrimination in action, saying there was more cases of drug abuse in Jammu region than in Kashmir, but more coercive action was being taken in the Valley. ''I want to ask whether there are more drug addicts in Jammu or in Kashmir? As health minister, I can tell you the figure is more in Jammu. But, the way you are destroying the houses of people in Kashmir, bulldozing them, or attaching their properties, it is not a right thing to do. It will make people more negative and that will cause difficulties for us. This should be stopped,'' she added. The minister said the focus of the home department should be on dismantling drug trafficking. ''We have to try and rehabilitate or counsel drug addicts so that they return to the mainstream, and your (L-G administration's) endeavor should be to stop drug trafficking. If someone is a drug addict, what is the fault of his father? So why bulldoze a property which is in his father's name?'' she said. Appealing to the L-G to stop ''bulldozing houses and properties of people'', Itoo said it sends a wrong message. ''Why is it happening in Kashmir only, if the figures are greater in Jammu? It sends a wrong message that perhaps we are discriminating. Our aim should be clear that. We must stop drugs from coming here,'' she added.