Government schools across Himachal Pradesh to launch drive against drug abuse

Rajiv Mahajan

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Nurpur, July 8

In order to implement the state government’s Integrated Drug Prevention Policy (IDPP), government schools are set to launch a drive against drug abuse. The Education Department issued a circular to all higher education deputy directors in the state regarding this on Saturday.

The department representatives said they had issued specific guidelines to all institutions to implement IDPP. They said, as per the guidelines, school authorities had been directed to organise debate, declamation, essay and slogan writing, painting and anti-drug awareness rallies focusing on the ill-effects of drug abuse. The institutions had been instructed to take the help of the School Management Committee (SMC), Gram Panchayat and local administration, volunteers of Bharat Scouts and Guides and NCC and NSS units of the institutions too.

Will form information gathering cell

Students and staff members will be roped in to form an information gathering cell. The information relating to drug addicts, peddlers and suspicious behaviour of the students on campus along with the movement of suspicious elements around school premises will be procured by this cell. The information will be shared with the police and local administration. — Amarjeet Sharma, Higher Education Director, Shimla

The department said school administrations had been directed to constitute anti-drug squads, which were to be headed by school principals. The squad may include two-three staff members, students, members of the SMC, panchayat or relevant persons from their areas.

Shimla Higher Education Director Amarjeet Sharma said the school administrations had also been directed to set up an information gathering cell. “Students and staff members will be roped in for this purpose. The information relating to drug addicts, peddlers and suspicious behaviour of the students on campus along with the movement of suspicious elements around school premises will be procured by this cell. The information will be shared with the police and local administration.”