Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan chaired the 12th meeting of the State-level National Coordination Centre for Drug Law Enforcement (NCORD) at the Secretariat, where a series of measures were discussed to curb drug trafficking, strengthen de-addiction centres, and protect young people from substance abuse.
The Chief Secretary directed all districts to hold NCORD meetings regularly and ensure the speedy disposal of cases involving the commercial quantity of seized narcotic substances. He instructed the Police Department to intensify efforts to dismantle drug supply chains and maintain continuous surveillance over trafficking networks.
Reviewing the state’s de-addiction centres, Bardhan ordered that centres currently lying non-operational be made functional at the earliest. He also directed that dedicated beds for de-addiction treatment be made available in district hospitals, medical colleges, and sub-district hospitals. He assured that there would be no shortage of funds for establishing new de-addiction centres.
The Chief Secretary further instructed officials to inspect private de-addiction centres and make their registration and certification mandatory in accordance with prescribed standards. He also emphasized the need to establish standards for drug detection kits and conduct a comprehensive survey on substance abuse across the state.
Calling for coordinated action by the Health, Education, and Social Welfare Departments, Bardhan directed that Anti-Drug Clubs be established in schools and colleges. He also ordered strict enforcement of the ban on the sale of gutkha, tobacco, and other intoxicating substances within 100 metres of educational institutions.
He stressed that public awareness campaigns against drug abuse should be expanded to villages and educational institutions to prevent youth from falling into addiction and move the state toward becoming drug-free.
