DC Samba asks for stepping up Drug Demand Reduction campaign

Samba : District Magistrate Samba Abhishek Sharma on Saturday assessed the enforcement steps and IEC activities being taken to deal with the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse.
He was chairing the meeting of District Level Committee of Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) attended by Benam Tosh, Senior Superintendent of Police; Suresh Chander, ADC; Subash Chander PO, Poshan; Dr. Kusum Chib, ACR ; Sidharth Dhiman, ACD ; Dr. Rajesh Kumar, SDM Vijaypur and other functionaries of stakeholder departments.
At the outset, the District Magistrate Samba laid emphasis on making coordinated efforts by all the Government Departments and the enforcement agencies to eradicate the menace of drug abuse.
He directed to intensify IEC Activities under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan aimed at Drug Demand Reduction.
The CEO informed the chair that the education department is organizing a series of activities under NMBA in the Government and private Schools. He said the department is documenting all such activities and the monthly brief is being submitted to the DC Office for further uploading on the portal by DSWO.
The chair directed the Principals of Government Degree colleges, to conduct awareness programmes in their institutions regarding the ill effects of drugs and to keep a close watch on any kind of early symptoms of drug abuse amongst the students. He further asked to host lectures highlighting the provisions of NDPS Act in all educational institutions.
The District Information Officer was directed to publicise the already running Drug de-addiction Centres, Tele- Manas Helpline number 14416/ District Control Room number and the PCR number.
The chair directed the District Social Welfare Officer to intensify IEC Campaign/ activities in the district, especially in the already identified hotspot areas.
The chair directed the Assistant Regional Transport Officer Samba to plan awareness activities for drivers and conductors of the Commercial vehicles.
The chair was also informed about the installation of feedback boxes in all the Panchayat Ghars.
The Assistant Commissioner Development informed the chair that the issue of sharing names of Drug Victims and Peddlers is the standing agenda item of weekly Panchayat meetings, but no information has been received from any of the panchayats till date.
He brought into the notice of the chair that during the special Gram Sabha on NMBA on 5th June, people pointed out the use of Ring Road by the Drug Peddlers.
The meeting was informed that a five bedded Drug De-addiction Centre is already running in the District Hospital Samba. However, the post of the Psychiatrist is lying vacant after the retirement of the incumbent doctor and the matter has been taken up with the Government through Director Health Services, Jammu. The chair asked the Chief Medical Officer to pursue the matter with the Director Health Services and constitute a team of counsellors, who can make people aware about the scientific ways of leaving drugs and to deal with panic attacks etc.
It was further informed that accommodation for setting up of a dedicated 15 bedded Drug De-Addiction Centres has been identified at abandoned building of GMS Dowari, Gurah Slathia Tehsil Vijaypur.
However, the accommodation is required to be modified as per requirement given by the inspecting team of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the meeting was told. The chair asked the DSWO Samba to work out the hiring of professionals through the funds available from the Ministry of Social Justice. The chair asked the Chief Medical Officer and DSWO to identify vacant Government buildings, which could be utilized for the Drug De-Addiction Centre.
He also called for Monitoring of illicit Cultivation of Poppy or Cannabis crops in the district. The Chief Agriculture Officer informed the chair that these crops are not cultivated in the district. However, there is wild growth of these crops on the unutilized lands. The department is destroying such crops on mission mode.
Similarly, the Divisional Forest Officer was directed to identify and destroy the illicit wild growth of such crops on the forest land. Both the officers were asked to submit a brief report about the quantum of illicit crops destroyed during the previous month along with specific details about the name of the village and photographs. The chair further directed all the officers to destroy these crops from all the Govt Campuses.
Sub Divisional Magistrates including ACR were directed to activate the youth clubs in particular and youth in general and involve Military/ Paramilitary forces/ social organizations, who are supporting the administration in eradicating the menace of drug abuse, while planning and executing various activities for the engagement of youth.
The BSF authorities apprised the chair about the activities they are doing for the engagement of youth. The chair asked the BSF and District Police to mentor atleast one college each.
The chair directed the District Youth Services and Sports Officer Samba to make a calendar of activities for youth Clubs, especially to target the youth of vulnerable age and in the hotspot areas in consultation with concerned Sub Divisional Magistrates.
He called for the Constitution of Committees for inspection of Pharmacist/Chemist Shops. The Assistant Controller Drugs Samba informed the chair that there are a total of 550 Pharmacy shops in the district, out of which 300 have already installed CCTVs. The chair directed the AC Drugs to have a check on sale of schedule H and X drugs, which can be used as psychotropic substances. Strict action be taken against such Pharmacies who sell scheduled drugs, without prescription from an authorized medical practitioner. The chair directed for inspection of all shops by or before 15th August.The chair directed to ensure proper checking of all the shops within three months and also ensure that all pharmacies have computerized inventory of records related to all Scheduled H and X drugs.
The chair directed all the enforcement agencies vis a vis District Police, NCB and ANTF to increase the enforcement activities in a more coordinated manner, so as to get the desired results. SHOs were asked to patrol the areas near Degree Colleges and Secondary Schools regularly to keep watch over suspicious elements. The chair further directed the enforcement agencies to submit a brief report of activities carried, arrests made and the seizure made during the previous month.
Expressing concern over the low rate of conviction, the chair asked the SSP Samba to organize a one day workshop for Investigating Officers and Executive Magistrates by the experts.
Chief Medical Officer Samba informed the chair that Dr. Manu Arora trained three officers of the health department for the prevalence survey.
During the survey the team of 4 to 5 members will conduct door-to-door survey to obtain information.
The Chair informed the participants that the Nasha Mukt Panchayat Abhiyan has been initiated by the Government on 26th June 2023 and asked the ACD Samba to evaluate each Panchayat on parameters evolved by Social Welfare Department, rank and incentivize the Panchayats.
The chair emphasized on synergized working of all the departments to make Samba District Drug Free/ HotSpot Free before 15th August.