The death of Olip Litin Mukerje in a rehab centre operated in Pasighat under East Siang district is deeply concerning. The young man was reportedly severely beaten by officials of the rehab centre following an altercation. In response to Mukerje’s death, the East Siang police arrested 11 employees of the rehab centre. Shockingly, during their visit, the police found that a rehab centre known as Serene Rehab Centre was being operated without obtaining permission from the authorities.
With drug addiction emerging as the biggest threat to the youth of the state, numerous rehab centres are sprouting across Arunachal Pradesh. However, many of these rehabs do not obtain the necessary permission from the authorities, and as a result, the authorities are unaware of their existence. They are not professionally run and are mostly operated by former addicts.
Learning from the Pasighat incident, authorities should strictly inspect all rehab centres operating in the state. A proper mechanism should be developed to ensure these centres are professionally managed by qualified individuals. Families send their loved ones to these rehab centres with the hope of overcoming addiction. However, if a rehab centre poses a threat to lives, families will understandably refrain from seeking their services. This issue requires urgent attention from the state government.