With a growing number of cases requiring rehabilitation as drug addiction emerges as one of the biggest threats to the youths of the state, numerous rehab centres have sprung up across Arunachal Pradesh. Many of these are run by organizations or individuals, often without the required licences or proper facilities. This situation needs to be urgently addressed.
Rehabilitation centres must be operated professionally by qualified and trained personnel. Even if the intention is good, without proper professional oversight, the outcomes can be harmful.
The death of Olip Litin Mukerjee at a rehabilitation centre operating in Pasighat in East Siang district in 2024 has exposed serious loopholes in the management of such centres in the state, as well as the lack of clear guidelines to regulate them.
During the investigation, the East Siang police found that a rehabilitation centre known as Serene Rehab Centre was being run without obtaining the necessary permissions from the authorities.
Therefore, the decision by the Changlang additional deputy commissioner to assess the functioning of rehabilitation and drug de-addiction centres in the district is a step in the right direction. The decision to give all centres a one-month deadline to register their licences, failing which they will be shut down, will at least prompt these centres to begin rectifying the issues. All district administrations should follow suit.