Bennur
Minister for Home Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said Karnataka has declared a war on narcotics and has destroyed seized drugs valued at ₹50 crore. Only 60 per cent of the seized narcotics had been destroyed and the remaining would be destroyed after getting clearances, he added.
“The narcotics that used to be seized in five years had been seized in one year. It’s the highest seizure of drugs. The challenge is the synthetic drugs and the clampdown is on,” he said.
Addressing presspersons in Mysuru, Mr .Bommai said drug peddlers are coming up with newer modus operandi and had started peddling narcotics in ordinary posts. The peddling was done in different forms that were recently detected by the police.
More than 15 to 20 foreign nationals, especially from African countries, had been arrested in drug cases in the last one year.
The Minister said the Mysuru police had been told to replicate the model of Bengaluru police, working closely with banking institutions for thwarting fraudulent schemes and economic offences. “They (the police) were able to prevent frauds of nearly ₹40 crore.”
Mr .Bommai said crimes have gone up by 15-20 per cent after the lockdown was eased. It could be robberies, dacoities, chain snatching and others. Chain snatching cases are also being reported in rural areas of Mysuru. “I have told the officers to step up patrolling to prevent crimes post-lockdown.”
₹200 cr. for 100 police stations
Police reforms and infrastructure development have received greater emphasis, he said, adding that a sum of ₹200 crore had been released for the construction/renovation of nearly 100 police stations in the State. “Some are in bad shape and a few others don’t have their own buildings.”
He said the police officers had been told not to intervene in civil disputes but intervene only when they become law and order issues. In land disputes, the DCs or tahsildars should be alerted and police cannot mediate.
Recruitments
This year, 4,000 constables and 1,000 PSIs are being recruited, Mr. Bommai said, adding that 14,000 recruitments had been done in the last two years and 13,000 more will be done in the next two years.
