DC Kathua reviews anti-drug measures at District NCORD meeting

KATHUA, May 23:   Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rakesh Minhas today chaired a meeting of the District Level Committee under the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) to discuss and review measures to curb the drug abuse and narcotics trade in the district.

The meeting discussed at length the issues related to incidence of drug addiction, areas of concern and hotspots of drug abuse besides measures taken by law enforcement agencies to curb the menace.

The Assistant Drug Controller informed that out of 405 out of  425 medical stores  have installed CCTV cameras which will help in keeping a check on over the counter sale of psychotropic drugs. The DC directed ADCs and SDMs to keep a strict vigil on the sale of OTCs besides conducting random inspection of pharmaceutical shops to ensure functioning of CCTV surveillance systems.

While discussing the registration status of existing de-addiction centers operating in the district, the DC called for expediting the process of registration within the extant rules besides facilitating the un-registered Drug De-addiction centers to register with regional authority.

The DC stressed on mapping all those vulnerable spots in the district which either have reported cases of drug addiction or its supplies to launch a mass awareness   encouraging the community members to facilitate rehabilitation of drug addicts and crackdown on the perpetrators . 

The DC asked the Chief Education Officer to launch a massive awareness campaign in the schools to sensitize the students about hazards of drug menace. He stressed for   insightful counseling of parents during parent teacher meet.

The DC called upon ADCs and SDMs to ensure enforcement of drug eradication measures in their respective jurisdictions besides identifying illegal cultivation of poppy and other illicit drug crops by teams comprising the officers of Agriculture, Revenue, and Police departments.       

The meeting was attended by SSP, Shivdeep Singh; SDM Hiranagar, Manisha Koul; CMO, Dr Rakesh Mangotra and other officers from civil administration. ADCs of Billawar and Basohli and SDM Bani attended the meeting virtually.