Pulwama : The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pulwama, Dr Basharat Qayoom on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the District Level Committee of Narcotics Coordination (NCORD).
At the outset, the DC stressed on the need to identify the major drug Peddlers and hotspots of drug consumption and illicit cultivation of Poppy and Cannabis to bring the drug peddlers, cultivators and traffickers to task.
He said that collective efforts are needed to curb the drug menace and all stakeholders shall have to work in tandem to enhance the rehabilitation of persons involved in drug abuse.
He emphasised on conducting awareness camps in schools and colleges on mass scale to sensitize the youth about hazards and ill effects of consuming drugs.
The Education Department was asked to promote anti-drug abuse awareness in all educational institutions.
The DC directed the CEO to form a cluster of schools for carrying out mass awareness and to collaborate with CMO for Orientation/ training of at least one teacher from each school for identifying the medical signs/ symptoms of Drug addiction and to carry out the intense identification of students that might have fallen prey to illicit use.
He added that special teams shall be constituted to have vigilance around institutions.
Ex. Engineers of I&FC, R&B and EO MCs were directed to identify and carry out the operations of destruction of Poppy and Cannabis Cultivation along riversides & roads intensively.
He also directed CAO and CHO to explore avenues for growing alternative crops in these areas besides providing valuable inputs to land owners.
Dr Basharat asked officers of all line departments to make coordinated efforts to contain the drug peddling and break the supply chain besides taking stringent action against the persons involved in this dangerous trade.
The DC directed Assistant Drug Controller Pulwama and CMO Pulwama to get CCTV cameras installed at all medical shops, clinical establishments and chemist/ druggist shops.
He also directed the Assistant Drug Controller to establish a 24*7 flying squad to check the unauthorized functioning of Chemists besides checking the sales of contraband drugs in the district.
The Police Department was asked to keep strict vigil against drug proliferation, consumption and intensifying awareness against such addictive substances involving concerned stakeholders from civil administration.
Earlier, during the day on the eve of International Day against Drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day), series of meetings, programmes and events were carried out across the District for eradication of Drug menace and to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving the goal of a world free of Drug abuse.
In this regard a major rally was started from District Social Welfare Office Pulwama up to the Govt. Degree College Boys Pulwama.
Accordingly various programmes were held at all the educational centres in the district to spread the awareness among the young generation; how to avoid the drug menace and develop inbuilt capacity of saying “No to drugs and yes to life” for the betterment and upliftment of the society.
In order to combat this rising societal problem, multi-pronged rehabilitation, counselling and guidance policy is being implemented on ground to monitor drug abuse and take remedial measures to curb the menace in District Pulwama.
