Govt sets up EAGLE to check drug abuse
Vijayawada: In order to check the drugs and ganja abuse in the state, the government issued orders for creation of Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) with headquarters at Amaravati with auxiliary units in districts and staff. The primary objective of the creation of EAGLE is to serve as a crucial unit in safeguarding public health, social stability and security across the state.
It may be noted the state government has firmly decided to check the menace of drugs and ganja in the state, as the problem got deeply rooted even spreading to rural areas, spoiling the lives of lakhs of families.
The department of home on Thursday issued orders in this regard. The EAGLE will be developed as specialised unit to focus on the prevention, investigation and prosecution of drug-related crimes throughout the state with statewide jurisdiction.
DSP rank officers and station house officers will be appointed in the EAGLE. All districts will have special EAGLE stations.
The government in a statement on Thursday said allotment of motor vehicles for the EAGLE will be made in due course and staff from the police department will be deputed.
The personnel who are found suitable for deputation to the unit shall undergo induction training as prescribed and approved by the EAGLE.
The tenure of all police executive personnel at the EAGLE head office, narcotics police stations and at district narcotics control cells would be ordinarily for three to five years.
The uniformed personnel deployed in EAGLE shall get 30 per cent of special allowance during their tenure in EAGLE.
The GO also requires setting up of five special courts/fast track courts in Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati — to deal with the narcotics and drugs cases.
The government will sanction recurring expenditure Rs 8.59 crore towards pay and allowances of the personnel of EAGLE.
Kumar Vishwajheet, principal secretary to the state government, has given orders in this regard on Thursday.