Review meeting held to curb drug menace in Goalpara

A CORRESPONDENT

GOALPARA: The National Narcotics Coordination meeting for the month of April was held at the DC conference hall on Wednesday. The meeting was in connection with ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ and ‘Fight Against Drugs which was chaired by DC Khanindra Choudhury and attended by SP VV Rakesh Reddy, DDC Ranjit Konwar, Drug inspector, Inspector of Schools and other senior officials of the administration and medical department. The meeting was also virtually attended by the state representatives from the Narcotics Control Bureau.

At the beginning, the DC had a brief interaction with the founder and owners of the rehabilitation centers currently providing their services in Goalpara district and instructed them on various parameters they need to work and to fulfill the guidelines by the Director of Health Services to get registered under the mandatory Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) act 2021. The discussion took place primarily around the demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction. In demand reduction, the Inspector of Schools and the Education department was instructed to organize various awareness programmes, tasks targeting the teenagers studying in high school and higher secondary schools. It was also decided that even college students should be given awareness and should be motivated to get themselves certified by taking pledge ‘Say Yes to life, No to Drugs’on MyGov portal.

In demand reduction, the Drug Inspector was instructed and it was decided that all pharmacies should keep a separate register for sell of addictive drugs and the sell of drugs in bulk or repeat customer. The Drugs Inspector was also instructed to ensure separate register for sell of prescribed drugs, and over the counter. The Drugs Inspector was also instructed to ensure CCTV installation in all pharmacies. The Superintendent of Excise, was directed to ensure display of signage of NCB in all pubs, bars and restaurants of Goalpara.

The Goalpara SP mentioned about drug caught and cases registered in connection with narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Goalpara. The SP informed the house regarding the recent four cases which were registered and 6 persons were arrested and 50 grams of Heroin and 6 kg of ganja was caught by the police department. Goalpara district being a hotspot district in the matter of drug consumption, the DC have given special attention to curb the social menace in the district.