Rs 5.34 crore okayed for de-addiction centre at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur

The state government has sanctioned Rs 5.34 crore for the construction of a 100-bed de-addiction centre at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur. The centre will have ample space for recreational activities.

A government spokesperson said that five more drug de-addiction centres were being established in Mandi, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Solan and Sirmaur districts. “For counselling and early intervention, 108 new ‘Disha’ centres have been set up in health institutions in the state where ASHA workers, doctors and psychiatrists are being specially trained. Currently, four de-addiction and rehabilitation centres for men are operational in Kullu, Una, Hamirpur and Kangra, while a separate centre for women is being run by the Red Cross Society in district Kullu,” he added.

He said that the government was working in collaboration with the NITI Aayog and the Health Department to frame a state action plan for drug prevention and rehabilitation. “As part of mass awareness efforts, more than 5.76 lakh people have been sensitised about the ill-effects of drug abuse under the National Drug Prevention Campaign, covering 5,660 villages and 4,332 educational institutions,” he added.

The spokesperson said that the government had passed the Himachal Pradesh Organised Crime (Prevention and Control) Bill-2025, which provided for stringent punishments, including death penalty, life imprisonment, fine up to Rs 10 lakh, and confiscation of illegally acquired property, for those involved in drug smuggling. To curb illicit manufacturing of narcotics, the government was constituting a special monitoring committee, led by the SDM and officers from the Excise, Police and Health departments, to oversee codal formalities and regulate pharmaceutical companies holding narcotic drug licences.