PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has expressed deep concern over the increasing trend of drug addiction among the youth in the State.
He was addressing a meeting of the National Narco Coordination Portal (NCORD) at the State secretariat on Thursday. Stressing on the need to take strict steps to control the increasing menace of drug addiction among the youth, the CS said that district magistrates and senior superintendents of police will have to play an important role in this regard. Bardhan directed the authorities to increase enforcement to stop the sale of drugs.
He said that Police need to take strict measures to stop drug abuse and nominated SSP STF Navneet Singh as a single point nodal officer, giving him full freedom to take strict measures against drug abuse.
The CS said that a campaign should be undertaken in the State to break the ecosystem of drug abuse. He also asked the Health department to include the drug inspector in this campaign. He said that every officer will have to fulfil his responsibility honestly in breaking the chain of demand and supply of drugs.
Bardhan directed the DMs and SSPs to interact with the heads of educational institutions and hostels in their districts and persuade them to conduct medical tests in their institutions.
The CS said that meetings of the District Mental Health Authority and District Level Coordination Committee should be held every month under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate. He directed to increase the capacity of the government de-addiction centres and mental health centres operating in the State and said that government buildings which are not in use can also be operated as de-addiction and mental health centres.
He also directed that physical inspection of private de-addiction centres operating in the State should be done and action against the centres which are not fulfilling the standards.
Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, R Rajesh Kumar, Ranjit Sinha, ADG Law and Order V Murugesan and other senior officers and the State administration and Police attended the meeting.
