Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the upcoming Rehabilitation Centers in all the 22 districts would be made fully operational within three months.Presiding over a high level meeting with senior officers of the state government, Mr. Badal also approved the sites of three acres each for the construction of these Rehabilitation Centers across the state, as identified jointly by the inspection team comprising senior officers of Health department and National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) with the guidance of the concerned Deputy Commissioner. These centers were the integral part of state government’s determined bid to end drug menace from the state on one hand and ensure rehabilitation of drug-addicts on the other with the sole motive to enable them to lead a respectful life after their reformation in these Rehabilitation Centers.
The Chief Minister categorically asked the NBCC to hand over the fully furnished pre-fabricated buildings of these centers as per the approved site plan, design, layout and specifications to the Health department positively within three months. Badal also gave nod for the recruitment of para-medical staff including male nurses/pharmacists; ward attendants besides social workers and security personnel to be drawn from PESCO. Mr. Badal also asked the Chief Secretary to work out a plan in consultation with the Secretary Technical & Industrial Training Department for imparting skill training/short term courses in different vocations to the drug-addicts after their treatment in the upcoming Rehabilitation Centers.The Chief Minister also asked the Principal Secretary Health to device modalities for the recruitment of doctors to be posted in the New Rehabilitation Centers besides deputing them in the Jails to treat the drug-addicts. In the meantime, till the process of regular appointment of these doctors was completed, he directed the Principal Secretary Health to spare 44 doctors from the PCMS cadre for posting two doctors each in these Rehabilitation Centers.
The Chief Minister also asked the Principal Secretary Higher Education to consult the Vice Chancellors of the State Universities to evolve a time bound strategy to bring awareness amongst the students studying in colleges to effectively fight out the scourge of drug-addiction. Likewise, he also impressed upon the Principal Secretary School Education to work out an action plan to launch a vigorous campaign for the students in the High and Senior Secondary Schools to educate them about the ill-effects of drugs on their health & psyche and achieve this objective in a meaningful manner, he stressed on the need to prepare literature in their idiom for distribution on the mass scale. He also asked the departments of School and Higher Education to regularly organized seminars, talks, discussions in the Educational Institutions besides showing documentary films to the students on the harmful effects of drug-addiction and taking preventive measures.
While reviewing the status of inmates lodged in different jails of the state due to drug abuse and its peddling, the Chief Minister also asked the jail authorities to keep a strict vigil besides providing them the best medical treatment. He also asked the Principal Secretary Jails to take stock of the situation after visiting the jails for the quick rectification of short comings if any besides initiating corrective and reformative measures for the rehabilitation of the drug-addicts to enable them to lead a normal life with dignity. He also asked the Health department to depute adequate medical staff including doctors, physiatrists and para-medics on the priority in the jails for providing the best possible treatment to them.
Prominent among others who attended the meeting included the Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, Advisor on Health to Chief Minister Dr. KK Talwar, Principal Secretary to the CM Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Health Mrs. Vinni Mahajan, Principal Secretary Higher Education Dr. Roshan Sunkaria, Principal Secretary School Education Mrs. Anjali Bhawra, Principal Secretary Jails Mr. Sanjay Kumar, MD Punjab Health System Corporation Mr. Husan Lal, Special Principal Secretaries to CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh and Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, MD PIDB Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, Special Secretary Health Mr. Vikas Garg, Dr. D. Basu Psychiatry Department PGIMER, Chandigarh, IG Jails Mr. Jagjit Singh, DIG Jails Mr. LS Jakhar besides the local team of NBCC including General Manager Mr. SK Kharab, Additional General Manager Mr. Kashmira Singh and Deputy General Manager Mr. SB Singh.