Goa Chief Minister urges parents to ensure that children are not exposed to drugs

The big fish involved in the drug trade in the state has not been identified yet, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the Goa legislative assembly on Tuesday.

The chief minister faced some tough questions both from the ruling and the opposition members over the failure of the state police to curb the menace.

"The big supplier has not been identified yet," Mr Sawant said, after opposition MLAs Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Reginaldo and BJP MLA Atanasio Monserrate accused the police of not being serious about the problem.

"The actual drug suppliers have never come in the picture. Only young people who deal in small quantities are arrested. The big fish is not," Mr Kamat said during Question Hour.

Responding to the charge, the Chief Minister said that over the last few years, the detection rate of crime involving drug trade had increased, but also added that parents as well as the state education department need to be serious about ensuring that youngsters are not involved in drug sale and abuse.

Pramod Sawant also urged parents to become more responsible and ensure that their children are not exposed to drug abuse.

"We are serious. Education department and parents need to be serious too. Every parent should act responsibly when it comes to youngsters," Pramod Sawant said, adding that the drug menace was not a new issue in Goa.