Chamarajanagar: Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar expressed his suspicion over peddlers distributing ice-cream laced with drugs to woo students studying in high-profile Schools and Colleges in the State.

Speaking to reporters here yesterday, the Minister said he has heard about miscreants distributing ice-cream, chocolate and other eatables laced with narcotics near the educational institutions to make students addicted to the banned substances.

This is happening near those Schools where the children of rich parents study. 

“We are not going to spare drug peddlers and will put them behind the bars,” he said adding that the State Government was committed to putting an end to the menace of drugs by taking tough measures. 

The question of politicising this issue does not arise. Based on information, the Narcotics Control Bureau sleuths conducted surprise raids at several places and arrested the drug peddlers. The Government has taken serious note of the drug mafia and issued strict instruction to the CCB sleuths to deal the issue with an iron hand. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraja Bommai are daily monitoring the progress of the cases.

Admission process 

Replying to a question, he said instruction had been given to all Government, aided, unaided and private educational institutions to complete the students’ admission process before Sept. 30. The Managements of Schools were permitted to collect fees of only one term and to use the same towards payment of salary to teachers who were in difficulties due to non-receipt of salary since June this year. Action will be initiated if any School was found collecting excess fees from the parents, he added.