Examiner Bureau | Baramullah:
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday participated in the “Drug-Free Jammu Kashmir” campaign in Baramulla, where he engaged with citizens and took part in a padyatra aimed at strengthening public awareness against drug abuse.
During the event, the LG announced two new key components of the ongoing campaign — the Community Immunization Programme against Drugs and the Family Fortress Initiative, to be implemented over the next 69 days.
He said the Community Immunization Programme will function like a preventive social model, involving religious leaders, community groups, and institutions to create “drug-free zones” in 5–10 identified high-risk hotspots in each district.
Urging coordinated participation, Sinha called on schools, mosques, temples, gurdwaras, and NGOs to dedicate at least one hour weekly to awareness activities, stating that such engagement would act as an early warning and prevention system.
The second initiative, the Family Fortress model, will focus on strengthening family and community structures as the first line of defence against addiction. He said every school, college, and place of worship should host weekly family dialogues on drug abuse, supported by local monitoring and corrective feedback mechanisms.
Highlighting enforcement measures, the LG said that in the past 31 days alone, more than 2.35 lakh awareness and outreach programmes have been conducted across the Union Territory. He added that over 44,000 patients have received treatment in OPD facilities, while nearly 700 drug smugglers and peddlers have been arrested.
He further stated that authorities have intensified action against the drug supply chain, including seizure of assets worth crores linked to narcotics networks. According to him, hundreds of driving licences and vehicle registrations connected to drug-related cases have been recommended for cancellation.
Sinha also said that over 3,300 drug stores have been inspected, with around 150 licences suspended for violations, while nearly 3,000 CCTV cameras have been installed at pharmacy outlets across the Union Territory to strengthen monitoring.
Calling the campaign a people-driven movement, the LG said public participation has reached unprecedented levels, with thousands of citizens actively contributing to awareness efforts.
He also noted that around 3,000 calls have been received through the Tele-MANAS counselling and support system in the past month, reflecting growing community engagement in rehabilitation efforts.
Emphasising a humane approach, Sinha said drug addiction should be treated as a health and social issue, not a stigma, and stressed the need for rehabilitation and reintegration of affected individuals into mainstream society alongside strict action against traffickers.
