Sirmaur administration outlines plan to curb drug abuse

Under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Sumit Khimta, a meeting was held today at the DC Office Auditorium, aimed at preventing the rising menace of drug abuse in the district. The meeting, organised by the Police Department, focused on tackling the illegal cultivation of narcotics, such as cannabis and opium.

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Deputy Commissioner Khimta directed all Block Development Officers (BDOs), representatives of the Panchayati Raj Department and other officials to take responsibility for monitoring and reporting cases of illegal cultivation in the district. He assured that the identity of those who report such activities would be kept confidential.

Addressing the growing issue of substance abuse among children, Khimta instructed the Education Department to organise awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and technical institutions. He also stressed the need to identify students who might have fallen into the trap of drug addiction.

In addition, Khimta ordered the Drug Control Department to curb the illegal sale of drugs such as avil and other anti-allergic injections, commonly misused by the addicts. He called for strict monitoring and surprise inspections of drugstores and warehouses to prevent unauthorised sales.

Furthermore, representatives from the Agriculture, Forest and Revenue Departments were asked to actively monitor and inspect the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium in their respective areas. Khimta emphasised the need to raise awareness about this issue at the village level and involve gram panchayats in the fight against drug cultivation.

During the meeting, Sirmaur Superintendent of Police (SP) Raman Kumar Meena provided insights into the increasing trend of narcotics in the district.

He informed that during the anti-drug campaign, the police seized 3,152 cannabis plants and 5,991 opium plants, and five cases of illegal opium cultivation were registered. The SP highlighted that a special drive, led by senior police officials, was launched to curb illegal opium farming in the high-risk areas.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramakant, Chief Medical Officer Dr Ajay Pathak, District Programme Officer Sunil Sharma, District Welfare Officer Vivek Arora and District Forest Officer Rampal, along with other representatives from various departments.