By Hirra Azmat
Srinagar, May 17: Government has decided to take the help of Imams and NGOs for fight the rising drug menace in the valley.
According to an official document, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, taking a serious note of the disturbing trend, held a meeting in which he passed the instruction for the fight against drug abuse.
“The deputy commissioners have been instructed to work in tandem with prominent citizens and ask Imams of local Mosques to speak about the issue particularly in their Friday sermons and other religious congregations,” the document stated.
An official privy to the meeting said various departments have been directed to devise a multipronged strategy to check the substance abuse.
Controller Drug and Food Safety Organisation, he said, was directed to prevent the sale of drugs on medical shops.
“Strict action will be taken against the offenders. They may even lose their licenses,” he said.
The official said the government was also considering various proposals to enhance the de-addiction paraphernalia.
He said that Director SKIMS has been directed to submit within one week a detailed report on establishment of a modernized drug de-addiction centre.
The Education Department has been directed to start awareness programmes and educational camps regarding the fallouts of substance abuse, he said.
“The aim of these programmes is to train the teacher fraternity in counselling the students about the bad effects of drug abuse,” the official said.
Police has been instructed to identify the places and spots used for consuming the drugs which may be identified and sanitized.
Narcotics Control Bureau of Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ annual report for 2016 placed J&K among the six major poppy producers in India.
