District Magistrate Reasi Kumar Abhishek today chaired a meeting of the District Level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) to review enforcement measures and ongoing initiatives to curb drug abuse, dismantle narcotics networks and promote a tobacco-free environment across the district.
The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of actions taken by various departments under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) and NCORD framework. The District Magistrate assessed the progress achieved in enforcement, awareness generation, de-addiction, rehabilitation and inter-departmental coordination.
The Police Department informed the meeting that several cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been registered, leading to the arrest of accused persons and significant recoveries of narcotic substances.
The District Magistrate directed the police to share details of identified drug addicts with the Chief Medical Officer to facilitate counselling, treatment and rehabilitation. The meeting was further informed that residential properties of drug peddlers have been attached, vehicles linked to narcotics offences seized and bank accounts frozen as part of the ongoing crackdown.
The District Magistrate reviewed the IEC activities being carried out by different departments. The meeting was informed that hundreds of awareness programmes, counselling sessions, community meetings and educational campaigns have been conducted in schools, colleges and villages across the district.
Educational institutions, ICDS centres and Mahila Nigrani Samitis have been engaged in spreading awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse and identifying vulnerable individuals.The Assistant Regional Transport Officer Reasi informed the meeting about the suspension and cancellation of driving licences and registration certificates linked to narcotics offences.
The District Magistrate directed the Health Department to ensure the availability and distribution of drug-testing kits to the departments concerned for effective monitoring and directed officers to install CCTV cameras in identified drug hotspots and survey additional vulnerable locations requiring surveillance.
The meeting also reviewed initiatives to make educational institutions tobacco-free. The Chief Education Officer was directed to identify institutions requiring focussed intervention and ensure strict implementation of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institution (TOFEI) guidelines.
District Magistrate Kumar Abhishek reiterated the administration's commitment to achieving a drug-free district under the Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyan. He directed that meetings of Mahila Nigrani Samitis be held every month to strengthen community vigilance and public participation and urged citizens to promptly report any instances of illicit cultivation, drug peddling or other drug-related activities to the district administration for timely action.
The District Magistrate highlighted the importance of sports and youth engagement in preventing substance abuse and informed that various sports events and recreational programmes are being organised at the district and block levels to channel the energy of youth positively. He called for the continued conduct of awareness and counselling programmes in all educational institutions to educate students about the harmful effects of drug abuse, tobacco consumption and other addictions.
Among those present were Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Mukesh Sharma, Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP) Iftekhar Ahmed, the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), the Medical Superintendent and other officers concerned.