MIAO, Jun 12: The Miao unit of the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) in a representation to the additional deputy commissioner on Tuesday sought administrative help in the fight against the opium and drugs menace in the area.
“Opium and drugs have eaten into the very essence of the society,” the APWWS unit stated.
It said it has been fighting the menace at the village level by apprehending peddlers and reporting them to the authorities.
“The menace has spread on a very large scale and there is need to look into the problems seriously,” the APWWS unit said, and underscored the need for registering drug-related cases and dealing with them appropriately.
It sought proper implementation of the NDPS Act “to act as a deterrent to the ever rising number of peddlers and abusers.”
The letter also stressed the need for immediate action against various shops and hotels in Miao, Namphai-I and Namphai-II areas which are indulging in illegal trade in IMFL.
The APWWS unit suggested introducing a mechanism to issue “age proof identity cards on a mandatory basis for customers of IMFL and cigarettes at all shops and outlets.
“Those found selling it to underage persons should be dealt with stringently,” it said, and added that it would appreciate it if CCTV cameras were installed in all the wine shops in the area.
The law prohibiting sale of tobacco products within a 100-metre radius of educational institutions should also be strictly implemented, the APWWS unit said.
It also sought a ban on sale and use of plastic bags, and on sale of goods by shopkeepers at prices higher than the MRP.