HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is likely to take a decision on Saturday on the reopening of educational institutions. Schools were declared shut from January 10 to 16 initially, and the closure was extended to January 30.
“A report has been submitted to the Chief Minister by education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy with details of students accessing digital sessions as well as those who are not. It details the difficulties faced by teachers, students from low-income families and managements and staff who are unable to run schools due to shortage of fee collection,” said Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA) state president Y. Shekar Rao.
The health department has submitted reports on Covid-19 cases among children and the daily fever survey reports to the Chief Minister to take into consideration.
In Medak, the TRSMA staged a dharna at the collectorate, saying students were habituated to carefree behaviour and it would be difficult to control them if schools were shut for a longer time. They added that because of frequent power cuts, online classes were hindered.
On Saturday, the Chief Minister ordered a crackdown on the use, sale, production, cultivation and illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs. Chand-rashekar Rao chaired a meeting with the top police and excise officials at Pragathi Bhavan to chalk out an action plan to eliminate the drug menace, following his decision earlier this week to form the Narcotic and Organised Crime Control Cell (NOCCC).
Addressing the conference, the Chief Minister directed the officials to adopt a two-pronged strategy — to identify those addicted to drugs and facilitate de-addiction with the support of their family and to identify and eliminate the drug supply network.
The Chief Minister asked the police to follow the methods being adopted by Scotland Yard in the UK and the Punjab police to curb the drug menace. He asked them to visit the UK and Punjab for the purpose.
On the lines of Greyhounds, a specialist unit must be established to work against the drug abuse, the Chief Minister told the meeting.
Chandrashekar Rao directed Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy to set up a state-of-the-art counter intelligence cell, constituted with 1,000 personnel drawn from police and excise.
Incentives will be provided to officers who display exemplary services in drug control. Funds would not be an issue, he said. The Chief Minister stated that the state government would give a free hand to officials to deal sternly with those involved in drug cases.
The Chief Minister said with effective implementation of law and order, the state was put on the development track within a short span. The menace of narcotic substances which was increasing around the world was disturbing the atmosphere. "We must address the issue tactfully. There is no use of any amount of development that we will achieve or any amount of wealth we will create if our people are addicted to narcotic drugs," he said.
“The use of narcotic drugs like cannabis, cocaine and LSD in Telangana is at a nascent stage. But studies show that young people are increasingly attracted to drug use. Hence, the family members, regardless of their financial condition, must be vigilant and focus on their children's habits,” the Chief Minister urged.
Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, excise minister V. Srinivas Goud, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, home secretary Ravi Gupta, DGP M. Mahendar Reddy, excise and prohibition director Sarfaraz Ahmad, CID DGP Govind Singh, Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand, DGs, district SPs, commissioners, DCPs and the excise SPs were present in the meeting.
The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to stop Rythu Bandhu and other incentives to the entire village if they failed to inform the authorities concerned of ganja cultivation. He wanted the officials concerned to treat drug control as a social responsibility rather than considering it as a job. The police were instructed to register cases under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against those involved in the crime.
The Chief Minister said there should not be hukka centres. He warned the police, the excise and the enforcement officials and staff with severe consequences if they were found to be hand in glove with illegal drug traders or antisocial elements. He instructed officials to call for a meeting with the owners of all pubs located in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police commissionerates and give strict directions to them against usage or sale of drugs on their premises.
