Shimla dist admn officials to hold talks on drug menace in schools from Nov 16 to 30

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap today said that administration officials would visit all schools in the district from November 16 to 30 and hold discussions with students on drug abuse. He chaired a meeting with the principals of all government and private schools in Shimla city and sought their cooperation in preventing the growing menace of drug abuse in society.

Kashyap said that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu would flag off a state-level Anti-Chitta Walkathon to be held in Shimla on November 15. He added that the anti-drug campaign would continue for the next three months. “This will be the government’s decisive battle against ‘chitta’. The students of all schools will participate in the walkathon,” he added.

The Deputy Commissioner said that special efforts should be made to involve those students who had brought laurels to the state and the nation in different fields so that the campaign could gain stronger momentum. Kashyap added that, in accordance with the Chief Minister’s vision, no individual involved in the drug trade would be spared. The state government was committed to eradicating the menace of ‘chitta’ from its roots.

He said, “It is essential to ensure participation of every citizen of the state in this movement. Teachers must take a step beyond their usual responsibilities in this direction.” He urged all principals and teachers to regularly speak with students about the harmful effects of drugs. “Teachers play a key role in guiding students and helping them distinguish between right and wrong, hence their role in this fight against drugs is extremely significant,” he added.

Kashyap said that the students of Class VIII to XII were more vulnerable to falling prey to drug addiction. Therefore, it was necessary to pay special attention to the children of this age group to keep them away from drugs, he added.

The meeting was informed that any person could provide information about drug users or those involved in drug trafficking on the “Drug Free Himachal Mobile App” — the identity of the informant remains confidential. Similarly, information related to drug abuse could also be shared on toll-free numbers 1908 and 14446.