Times of India: Bhopal: Saturday,
March 23, 2013.
India is home
to more than 899 legal opium addicts, who are provided opium by state agencies!
The
information has come to light through a query, TOI put across to Gwalior-based
Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) in the state, under Right To Information Act.
Replying to TOI query, CBN said there are 899 registered opium addicts in the
country and opium is allocated to states for these persons. They are the
persons, who as per medical experts, cannot survive without opium.
As per the
reply received from the CBN under RTI, opium was supplied to 12 states against
demand for registered addicts in 2012-13. The 12 states are: Delhi (18
registered addicts), Punjab (68 registered addicts), Odisha (486 registered
addicts), Maharashtra (186 registered addicts), West Bengal (12 registered
addicts) Tamil Nadu (100 registered addicts), Himachal Pradesh (14 registered
addicts), Uttarakhand (1 registered addict), Haryana (2 registered addict),
Nagaland (1 registered addict and Gujarat (4 registered addicts).
Replying to
the same RTI query by TOI, CBN said 119.610 kg of opium was given to all 12
states, which have registered addicts, in 2012-13. This list excludes two legal
addicts of Madhya Pradesh, who are from Sehore district. State norms regulate
issuance of licence and the role of CBN is limited to allotment against the
request of states. "Every state has specific norms, which regulate
issuance of licences and distribution of opium we are nowhere involved in it.
We just act as per the request of states," assistant narcotics
commissioner at CBN, Manish Kuleri said.
However, the
MP officials confirm there are two registered addicts in Sehore district.
Sources said Maghej Singh ,77, resident of Chhindgaon village and Heera Singh,
74, resident of Pala village in Nasrullahganj tehsil are the only known addicts
in MP, who are alive.
"CBN
must not have been having information because it is our subject and there must
have been adequate amount of opium at the treasury in Sehore, so no request was
made with the CBN," deputy excise commissioner, MP state excise department
DR Johri told TOI.
"However,
licences were issued only under the Opium Act 1878, which was in practice till
year 1985 when the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into
existence. Since then, no licence was issued and only old ones were renewed. If
things are normal, the allocated quantity is reduced by 1/8 every
quarter," Johri said.
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