AMN / NEW DEHI
The Supreme Court has asked All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to formulate a national action plan to curb the growing menace of drug abuse in the country, including by school-going children, before September 7.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, made it clear to Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, representing the Centre, that no extension of time would be granted to the government and AIIMS in formulating the policy, as the issue was of national importance.
The order came on a PIL that said, the 2016 verdict of the apex court on the plea of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan was not being complied with.
While deciding on the NGO’s plea, the apex court had then issued a number of guidelines and asked the Centre to formulate within six months the national action plan to curb rising substance abuse cases among school children.