Haryana govt sends proposal to Centre for setting up new de-addiction centres
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 8
The Haryana government has sent a proposal to the Union government for setting up of new de-addiction centres and modernising the existing ones in all the districts, especially the border districts with Punjab.
This is in line with Haryana State Council for Child Welfare (HSCCW) putting the spotlight on drug abuse in the state.
The proposal, submitted to the Union Social Justice Ministry, includes creation of de-addiction centres at block levels in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal and Ambala which border with Punjab.
Governor and Chief Minister of Haryana are, respectively, ex-officio president and vice-president of the HSCCW.
“Curbing the menace of substance abuse among youth of Haryana is in the interest of the future as much as it is for the country,” Honorary General Secretary of HSCCW Krishan Kumar Dhull said here on Sunday, and added that the campaign against the malady will be intensified.
Four new de-addiction centres, including one each in Gurugram, Hisar and Sirsa, were made functional in December last year.
The HSCCW also looks after the centres in the states.
Dhull said about 15 per cent of those treated at the centres are children and adolescents.
The HSCCW had undertaken a 16-day ‘bicycle yatra’ from Gurugram-Chandigarh to raise awareness against drug abuse last year.
Dhull said the HSCCW will organise the annual “Bal Mahotsav” this year on a record big scale. The schedule of it will be announced shortly.
About 10 lakh children of the state will take part in it. So far, two lakh prospective participants have made online registration for the event.
He listed streamlining management of the Children Homes, including creation of new ones each at Gurugram, Faridabad and Rohtak among HSCCW’s achievements since he took over about three years ago.
About 250 orphans and under-privileged children from these homes, including a good number of girls, have been adopted during his term.
As much as 30 per cent of them have been adopted by citizens of foreign origins.
The adoption procedure is regimented and structured with mechanism of layers of verification.
Dhull lauded Chief Minister ML Khattar for increasing state’s budgetary allocation for HSCCW from Rs 8 crore, before his tenure about three years ago, to Rs 25 crore.
Besides, the HSCCW has raised Rs 22 crore through charity donations. With help of Hero Honda Group’s CSR contributions, virtual class rooms, tutorials for regular classes from standard 6-12th, and for competitive exams for under-privileged children free of cost have been initiated.
