The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India on Thursday concluded a two day long Integrated Communication and Outreach Programme (ICOP) at Shopian.
The ICOP organised at IM- Government Degree College, Shopian by CBC's Field Office, Anantnag was aimed at public awareness about various public welfare schemes of the government which was done through a photo exhibition, informative standees, expert lectures and printed awareness material.
The concluding day of the outreach program was dedicated for awareness about the menace of substance abuse and various schemes for health and wellness of the people.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shopian, Tanushree was the chief guest on the occasion. In her presidential address, the SSP commended CBC for organising the outreach programme and choosing substance abuse as the theme for awareness.
She said that police are working with a two pronged strategy in the war against drug and substance abuse, whereby efforts are being made to reduce the demand for drugs by counseling and rehabilitating the addicts on one hand and stopping the supply of narcotic substances on the other.
She said that most of the addicts start using drugs and psychotropic substances under peer pressure or as an adventurous experiment and as such parents should keep an eye on who their wards are venturing with.She impressed upon the people, especially youth, to look out for the early signs of substance abuse among their peers and family to counsel them and report cases to the police.
Calling for police-public cooperation, she said the citizenry is the police sans uniform and it is vital that both work together to defeat the anti-social and anti-national forces responsible for illegal activities like drug supply and peddling.
Earlier, Shahid Mohammad Lone, Field Publicity Officer, CBC Anantnag in his welcome address briefed the audience about the functions and mandate of the CBC. He presented an overview of various activities organised during the two day programme.Rajeev Raina, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.Sp) gave a detailed presentation on the alarming situation of substance abuse in Kashmir.
During the programme Dr. Mohammad Yousuf, Block Medical Officer Shopian presented a detailed overview of various health sector schemes. He also shared anecdotes regarding the reluctance of people to enroll themselves for the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY scheme during the initial stages.
Dr. Yousuf discussed the major aspects of programmes like Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), National Non-Communicable Diseases Screening and other health related schemes.
A skit on Nasha Mukt Bharat was also performed by the cultural troupe of the CBC and quiz competition was also organised for the audience earlier in the day.Others present on the occasion were Dr. Arsheed Hussain Tak, Chief Medical Officer, Shopian, officials from district administration, teachers and students from GDC Shopian and different schools, volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and ASHAs.