Stringent action to end supply of drugs: Bommai

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said stringent action would be initiated against drug menace.

He was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations held here, on Friday.

Bommai, who is also the district in-charge minister of Udupi, said the need for stringent action was felt in the backdrop of increasing drug abuse cases being reported in the district. A task force will submit a report on the gravity of the crime and action initiated, he added.

“Importance will be given for eradicating drug menace by getting down to the root cause,” he said and emphasised that action would be taken to end the supply and consumption of drug in this region.

The home minister said increasing digitalisation and use of social media had resulted in an increase in cybercrime.

“Sixty nine out of the total 300 Bangladeshi immigrants do not have valid documents. The union home minister’s attention has been drawn to the issue. Legal procedures will be initiated against them,” he said.

Bommai, responding to the protest staged by Congress workers for not hoisting the Kannada flag in the district, observed that the tradition in the district was to hoist only the national flag. The deputy commissioner was instructed to hoist the Kannada flag from next year onwards. He refused to comment on any tweets on the issue.

“Centre has not issued any circular against the hoisting of Kannada flag,” he clarified. The issue of erasing lessons on Tipu Sultan is still in the initial phase as the chief minister is looking into it, he said.

The district in-charge minister maintained that there was no politics in the selection of Rajyotsava awardees.

‘No separate courts’

Bommai ruled out setting up separate courts for human rights violations.

He said there was no question of setting up a separate court to deal with human rights violations as Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) was disposing of cases related to human rights violations.

The home minister told mediapersons that he had directed the KSHRC to conduct regular meetings to redress human rights violations in different districts, particularly in North Karnataka and remote areas.

300 PPs

The home minister said in order to honour the promise made to the High Court, the government had already taken steps to appoint 300 public prosecutors (PPs) within 90 days.

Measures were taken to appoint 100 public prosecutors directly through the government. While remaining 200 PPs will be outsourced. In a phased manner, the vacant posts will be filled up, he said.