AALO, 23 Nov: West Siang DC Penga Tato advocated coordination among the stakeholders in the fight against the drug menace, and called for dealing with drug peddlers with an iron hand.
Addressing a meeting here on Tuesday, the DC asked the police to register drug-related cases “instantly.”
Informing that the state government has issued instruction to “locate government officials who are involved in drug addiction and to give them one chance of rehabilitation,” the DC urged all departments to “locate such addicts in their respective department.”
ADC Liyi Bagra stressed on “exemplary punishment as per NDPS Act to abusers and traffickers; awareness camps with fund drives, and parental roles and societal efforts to control the menace,” while SP Raja Banthia said that the administration and the police alone cannot solve the issue “unless civil society as a whole comes forward to fight this menace.”
He added that the police would keep the names of informants secret while filing FIRs in drug-related cases.
DMO Dr Dubom Bagra, APWWS member Marbom Riba Bagra, and the principal of the government higher secondary school also spoke.
NGO Mother’s Vision chairperson and Yomcha ZPM Jumde Yomgam Gamlin and the NGO’s drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre director Kennedy highlighted “approaches with addicts, proper parenting, social awareness, and statistics of derailed boys and girls.”
They informed that more than 50 chronic drug addicts have recovered in the rehabilitation centre. (DIPRO)