Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday said that the state government would soon include one chapter on raising awareness about drug abuse in the school curriculum.
Presiding over a function organised on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Chief Minister warned that government would take stern action against employees involved in drug trafficking. He urged every section of the society to be a part and join the drive against drug abuse to make Himachal Pradesh a drug-free state.
Sukhu said the state government was going to act tough against the government employees involved in drug trafficking. “I want to give a clear message to the people of the state that there is no place for drugs in Devbhoomi.
The youth should join the fight against drugs, help themselves and others as well to come out of this evil,” he stressed.
The CM said the state government remains committed in its relentless efforts to crack down on drug networks and take stern action against the offenders.
“The state government has focused on providing employment opportunities and encouraging skill development for those recovering from addiction, thereby integrating them back into mainstream society,” he said.
He said the state government has approved the establishment of a fully equipped 100 bed de-addiction centre in Kotla Barog in Sirmaur district with an outlay of Rs 5.34 crore and construction work of this project would start this year.
He said that the government was working to establish a district level de-addiction centre in each district.
The Chief Minister said the state government approved the implementation of PIT-NDPS Act soon after assuming power which the previous BJP Government could not implement during its five-year long tenure.
“The vision of a prosperous country can only be realised by channelising the energy of the youth in right direction. The government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against the use and trafficking of drugs,” he stated.
The Chief Minister also administered the anti-drug pledge and honoured various organisations and individuals on the occasion for their outstanding contributions in checking drug abuse in the state.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil emphasised the need for a large-scale movement akin to the freedom struggle and every individual must actively participate to uproot this evil.