Drunken driving may soon become a non-bailable offence in the state to bring down the number of fatal accidents on the roads.
Drunken driving in Gurgaon may soon become a non-bailable offence, said parliamentary affairs minister Ram Bilas Sharma at the state assembly.
This came as a response to concerns raised by Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal that drunk drivers who caused fatal accidents often escaped with minor punishment. Dalal had said that Haryana should have its own law that meted out harsher punishment to those caught driving under influence.
The Congress member had also raised the issue of the illegal sale of liquor and opium in the state, especially in rural areas, which went unchecked by the authorities.
To this, Sharma said that in 2017, 14,668 criminal cases had been registered against those indulging in the trade of illicit liquor; almost all of the accused had been arrested and the smuggled liquor seized, he added.
The state government, he said, was serious about any kind of illicit sale or use of intoxicating substances, be it liquor, opium, poppy husk, marijuana, heroin or smack.
“A multipronged approach has been adopted to prevent, detect and punish criminals indulging in such illegal activities,” Sharma said.
Sharma emphasised that the youth were also being educated on the harmful effects of narcotic substances.
The state government established a Special Task Force (STF) on October 3, 2017, with a view to detecting and investigating criminal activities, including manufacture and supply of narcotic substances, manufacture of illicit arms and counterfeit currency, cases of extorting and kidnapping and abduction for ransom, and cases related to terrorism. The STF headquarters have been set up at Gurgaon.
