Sukhu leads anti-drug walkathon in Bilaspur

Kullu: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday led a massive anti-drug awareness walkathon in Bilaspur under the state-wide public campaign against ‘chitta'. The walkathon, organised from Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) to Luhnu Ground, witnessed participation of students, public representatives, officers, and residents of the area.The CM administered oath to the participants who pledged to collectively eliminate chitta and other narcotic substances from Himachal Pradesh.Addressing a large gathering at Luhnu Ground, the CM described chitta as a "slow poison" destroying the future of the youth and shattering families, while also subjecting them to social stigma. He said the state govt launched a mass anti-drug movement from the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla on Nov 15, followed by campaigns in Dharamshala and Hamirpur, with Bilaspur being another strong milestone in the people's movement today.Sukhu called upon every section of society, especially the youth, to actively participate in the fight against drug abuse. He said meaningful social change was always led by young people and expressed confidence that the youth of Himachal Pradesh would once again stand shoulder to shoulder with the govt to make the state drug-free.The CM announced that the govt would soon launch an ‘Anti-Chitta Volunteer Scheme', under which college and university students, NCC and NSS cadets, members of youth clubs, and socially conscious citizens would be trained as frontline volunteers in the campaign.Emphasising that the govt's approach was not limited to slogans or symbolic events, he said strict action was being taken against drug traffickers alongside focused rehabilitation of victims. He announced that Rs 20 crore has been released for the de-addiction and rehabilitation centre being developed at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur district.Sharing enforcement details, he said that during the state-wide ‘Naka' campaign from Nov 17 to 19, 208 checkpoints were set up, nearly 28,000 vehicles were checked, and several NDPS cases were registered, leading to 33 arrests. On Nov 22, simultaneous search operations at 124 locations resulted in nine NDPS cases and nine arrests. On Dec 25, a special drive around educational institutions led to the registration of 12 cases and the issuance of 385 challans.The CM said the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs (PIT-NDPS) Act was being effectively invoked to detain habitual offenders. Action has so far been initiated against 66 criminals under PIT and NDPS provisions, including 19 notorious chitta traffickers detained on Dec 6 and 19.He added that action was underway against illegal properties linked to drug money. Of the 72 identified cases of encroachment and illegal construction, action has been completed in 14 cases, while proceedings in the remaining cases are in progress.Sukhu said inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing units were also being conducted to curb illegal production and distribution of psychotropic drugs. He added that community-based strategies were being strengthened through meetings held in 234 drug-affected panchayats to improve local intelligence, awareness, and prevention efforts. MSID:: 126190631 413 |