Governor Calls for Public Participation in Anti-Drug Campaign at Tripura University

Governor N Indrasena Reddy on Sunday urged people across the state to actively participate in the "Nasha Mukt Yuva Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan", saying the initiative was not merely a government programme but a people's movement against drug abuse.

The governor was speaking at the virtual launch of the nationwide campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the conference hall of the Academic Building of Tripura University. The programme was jointly organised by MY Bharat and Tripura University.

Addressing the gathering, he appealed to every citizen of Tripura to contribute to the campaign. He urged parents to educate their children about the dangers of drug abuse, teachers to guide students in the right direction, community leaders to lead by example, and young people to reject drugs and encourage their peers to do the same.

He said the Government of India had been taking sustained measures against drug addiction since 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The governor said the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, as the nodal ministry for reducing drug demand, had formulated the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). According to him, the plan focuses on drug abuse prevention, public awareness, identification of substance abuse, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.

He said the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA), launched on August 15, 2020, was one of the flagship initiatives under the NAPDDR. Initially implemented in 272 districts identified as vulnerable to drug abuse, the campaign has since been extended to all districts across the country, he said.

According to the governor, the initiative is based on three key components: curbing the supply of narcotics through the Narcotics Control Bureau, public awareness and outreach through the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and treatment and rehabilitation through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Referring to Tripura's geographical location and international border, Nallu said the state was particularly vulnerable to illegal drug trafficking. He said drug trafficking networks were targeting young people, affecting their health, families and society, and stressed that coordinated efforts by the Centre, the state government, educational institutions, civil society and the public were essential to address the problem.

The governor also administered the pledge for a drug-free India to those present at the programme.

Among those present were Tripura University Vice-Chancellor Prof Debabrata Das, Special Secretary of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department Tapan Kumar Das, West Tripura District Magistrate Dr Vishal Kumar, MY Bharat Tripura Director Mehboob Alam Laskar, MY Bharat volunteers, faculty members and students of Tripura University, and other dignitaries.