Haryana framing policy for skill development, rehab of ex-drug addicts

Chandigarh: In Haryana, where around 17,000 drug dependents visit a total of 53 de-addiction centres annually, state government is framing a rehabilitation policy by providing them skill development training. Panchayati Raj Institutions are also being involved to check the drug menace.
The social justice and empowerment department has forwarded the proposed policy to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for final clearance.
“A committee is being constituted under principal secretary of social justice and empowerment department for finalizing the policy for rehabilitation of former drug addicts. The committee would be notified in a day or two,” said social justice and empowerment department principal secretary Amit Jha. The expert group working on the policy includes Dr B S Chavan, head of psychiatry department at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, and Dr Aditya Kaushik, deputy director of social justice and empowerment department. Senior officers of skill development and industrial training department, ITI department, and Indian Red Cross Society would also be part of the committee.
There is a proposal to set up a rehabilitation board to monitor implementation of various state policies. It has been recommended that the additional chief secretary of home department be made the nodal officer to ensure compliance of various courts directions.
Haryana jails department has proposed to open two drug de-addiction centres in this financial year in Hisar Central Jail and Rohtak District Jail. There are a total of 19 jails across the state, and none has a de-addiction centre. State Council of Education Research and Training has prepared a curriculum for educating students of classes VII, VIII and IX about ill-effects of drugs, and the curriculum has been cleared by the state government to be introduced from this academic year 2017-18.
Also, in a crackdown on the illegal drug de-addiction centres, Haryana health department had raided and closed down two private de-addiction centres in Palwal and one in Gurugram in the last three months as these were being run without a government licence. Out of the 53 de-addiction centres across the state, 10 are being run by the health department, three have been opened in medical colleges and three are being run by Red Cross Society. As per official records, de-addiction centres across Haryana are being visited mainly by those who consume alcohol, smack and opium.