After HC order, Chandigarh starts exercise to weed out cannabis
The pro forma for the assessment and documentation of cannabis plant removal will be jointly signed by the area junior engineer and the designated police officers to ensure accountability and transparency in the process
Following the orders of Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), the engineering department of the UT administration has launched a comprehensive exercise to eradicate cannabis plants across the city. The initiative is being carried out in coordination with the Chandigarh Police and municipal corporation (MC).
The engineering department, in collaboration with the horticulture wing, has formed special teams to identify and remove cannabis plants from various open spaces, roads and vacant plots under the jurisdiction of the UT administration. These efforts are in strict accordance with the procedures outlined in the drug law enforcement field officers’ handbook issued by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
To ensure the enforcement of these norms, the police department has been requested to deploy police representatives to assist the horticulture wing staff during the cannabis removal operations. This collaboration aims to facilitate the smooth and effective removal of cannabis plants and their subsequent destruction as per the stipulated guidelines.
The pro forma for the assessment and documentation of cannabis plant removal will be jointly signed by the area junior engineer and the designated police officers to ensure accountability and transparency in the process.
HC had sought reports from Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula administrations
Taking serious note of wild growth of cannabis, the HC has sought reports from administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula by May 20.
“..A large number of cannabis plants can be seen growing even in the open areas near the Judges residential houses in Sectors 4, 7, 10, 11 and more particularly in Sector 24, Chandigarh including the Secretariat round-about and outskirts of High Court and in Rajendra Park etc, which is facilitating the miscreants indulging in to drug peddling,” the bench of justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Sandeep Moudgil observed during hearing of a plea on drugs seizure case of Punjab.
It further recorded that many visitors/passerby or may be even the residents of the city, especially the youth and kids are misusing such wild growth to their illegal commercial use.
Had asked for detailed action plan
Dissatisfied with the responses of the UT administration and MC about eradication of wild growth of cannabis in the city, the HC termed their responses “grossly inadequate” and “casual”, and sought for a detailed action plan.
The high court Bench of justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Sandeep Moudgil was hearing a suo motu petition in which the bench last week had sought details of measures taken by the administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.
After perusing the affidavit filed by MC, the bench observed, “This court is amazed at such a response, wherein a casual affidavit has been filed. Such an issue needs to be addressed with all seriousness, and a special team of staff, including labour, must be deployed to ensure that no such wild growth of cannabis plants ever grows again. But it does not seem to be the intention of municipal corporation, Chandigarh,” the bench recorded, adding that the photographs attached shows that remnants of the cannabis plants are lying, scattered and untreated, despite removal efforts. It asserted that a special team was required to be deployed to ensure complete eradication.
The administrations of Panchkula and Mohali had not filed their affidavits and their counsels had submitted that meetings of the chief secretaries have taken place with the concerned heads of the department and directions have been issued to take necessary action. The court, however, called the stand taken by them as “clandestine” and condemnable and asserted that it was not acceptable to the court.
