Deputy Commissioner, Dr Preeti Yadav launched a drive to facilitate self employment to patients suffering from substance use disorders, including those who were on their journey towards recovery through tapering dose therapy. Giving details in a press communique, she said that in view of providing self employment, skill development training to be imparted under the Punjab Skill Development Mission (PDSM) to patients who are getting treatment from Health Department.
The PDSM can currently assist 60 beneficiaries through a charge-free residential training program for electricians. This program will also facilitate rehabilitation by placing focus on financial independence through self-employment to the patients. Highlighting the aim of drive, Dr. Preeti Yadav said that District Administration has chalked out two program as part of an awareness drive aiming to aid the rehabilitation of patients suffering from substance use disorders including those that were on their journey towards recovery through tapering dose therapy.The administration had invited 82 such patients in two batches to help them rehabilitate successfully and sustainably and the first event was organized at the District Bureau of Employment and Enterprises (DBEE), she added.
She informed that additionally, representatives from the District Industries Centre engaged in awareness – enabling industry and providing resources for entrepreneurship to emerge. Invitees for the awareness generation programme included representatives from the Dairy Development Board (DDB), the Agriculture Department and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).Pointing out the functioning of these three organizations, Dr. Preeti Yadav said that awareness generation about skill development is being covered by the KVK, while the DDB engaged in sharing information to aid people wanting to indulge in self-employment. Employment projects addressed by the DDB included endeavours like establishing one’s own dairy farms, and educating the audiences on methods to maximize their efforts by effectively capitalizing on the advantages they could garner from existing government schemes.
She said that particular attention was accorded to rehabilitated individuals belonging to scheduled castes who were made aware of the special loan schemes available to them.She said that 396 drug rehabilitated individuals and those engaging in gradual de-addiction through tapering were tele-counselled by the DBEE, PSDM and DDF to generate awareness about the training enrollment camps and different loan schemes that can be availed by them to undertake self-employment activities.ADC G Ms Nidhi Kumud Bamba, Civil Surgeon Dr. Parminder Kumar and senior officers were also present on the occasion.