Curchorem, 8 September : Former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar has sounded a serious alarm over the growing drug menace in Curchorem, alleging that the BJP Government’s failure to curb narcotics has allowed the town to rapidly emerge as a potential “drug capital” of Goa.

Patkar said the situation had reached a stage where educational institutions and parents were increasingly worried about the exposure of students and youngsters to drugs, raising serious questions over the effectiveness of the government’s police, intelligence and enforcement machinery.

His remarks came after a series of interactions with managements, principals and authorities of educational institutions in Curchorem to understand concerns related to the safety and well-being of students.

According to Patkar, the discussions revealed growing anxiety over the availability and influence of drugs around young people and highlighted the urgent need for stronger vigilance, prevention, awareness and enforcement around educational institutions.

“Curchorem is fast becoming Goa’s drug capital, and the BJP Government cannot continue to look the other way. When schools and parents are worried about drugs reaching our children, it shows that the Government’s enforcement mechanism is failing,” Patkar said.

He challenged the government to answer what he described as a fundamental question: “Who is protecting Goa’s children?”

Patkar accused the government of relying on occasional raids, statements and publicity campaigns rather than mounting a sustained offensive against the drug network.

He said drug abuse could not merely be treated as a law-and-order statistic, warning that failure to act decisively could expose an entire generation to addiction and its social consequences.

“Our children should be carrying books, dreams and ambitions — not growing up under the shadow of drugs. Every parent has the right to expect that their child is safe in and around our educational institutions,” he said.

Anti-Drug Campaign From October

Stepping up the campaign, Patkar announced that a sustained anti-drug awareness movement would be launched across Curchorem from October, bringing together students, teachers, parents, schools and members of the wider community.

The initiative will focus on drug prevention and awareness, early identification of warning signs and encouraging citizens to report suspicious drug-related activities.

Patkar said concerns raised by educational institutions would also be formally pursued with the authorities and that pressure would be maintained on the government for stronger enforcement.

He further indicated that the initiative would eventually be expanded beyond Curchorem into a statewide anti-drug awareness movement covering Goa.

“This fight cannot stop at Curchorem. Our responsibility is to every child in Goa. From Curchorem, we will take this campaign across Goa because protecting our children from drugs means protecting Goa’s future,” he said.

‘What Development If Children Are Unsafe?’

Taking a political swipe at the BJP Government’s development narrative, Patkar said roads, buildings and infrastructure could not alone be projected as progress while parents remained anxious about the environment in which their children were growing up.

“What is the meaning of development if parents are anxious about the environment in which their children are growing up? Roads and buildings alone cannot define progress when the future of an entire generation is at stake,” he said.

Patkar maintained that the fight against drugs should transcend political divisions but said the government could not escape accountability when it controlled the police, intelligence machinery and administrative system.

“The Government has the machinery and authority to act decisively. It must do so. Curchorem’s children cannot be made to pay the price for government inaction,” Patkar said.