LUDHIANA:Former union minister and member of Legislative Council (MLC) Uttar Pradesh, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia has demanded setting up of a 5-member-commission for indepth study on the problem of drugs to make right assessment of its seriousness at the ground level. The committee, he said, should comprise only of former HC judges, Senior mediapersons, educationists, social scientists and writers. He also suggested that reporting of drugs related cases in the police stations should be videographed to prevent any corruption in dealing with them.Demanding registration of case against drug traffickers under laws of treason, he also urged state government to approach the religious leaders and dera heads to promote awareness against drugs. Ramoowalia, who held a meeting cum rally of old cadre of his Lok Bhalai Party at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan here on Thursday, spoke to a section of media after the event.Ramoowalia informed that he has written a letter to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh asking him to urge dera heads to start adopting drug addicts for their rehabilitation.“In the letter I have asked him to approach dera heads and urge them to start adopting addicts and help them in giving up drugs. At our end, we have already started working in the state for uprooting the problem and have approached several dera heads who have given him a positive response. We are soon going to form 100 teams of 10 persons each, who will visit 10 villages to work for eradication of problems in the villages,” he informed.Notably, Ramoowalia’s move is being seen in the political circles as an attempt to make a comeback in the state politics ahead of impending Lok Sabha elections. Hinting that he was open to alliance with political parties in the state, Ramoowalia who is presently associated with the Samajwadi Party refrained from attacking his former party Shiromani Akali Dal or the Congress. Stating that his fight was not against any political party or the government but the drug menace, he added that the drugs problem of Punjab can not be solved without political and social involvement.Ramoowalia reiterated that the platform of Lok Bhalai Party formed by him was non political now and only for the social work. “As far as my future political career is concerned, I will make the move only after consulting my mentors Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav whose party I represent. Asked about the motive behind his campaign against drugs, he claimed, “ It’s a blot on the name of my motherland and how can I tolerate it. I have been working for such social causes even before my political career.”

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