NAMSAI, Mar 31: Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein today visited the Special Drug De-addiction Camp being held at New Jengthu under Namsai Circle in which 38 drug addicts are undergoing de-addiction treatment. He was accompanied by Namsai MLA Chau Zingnu Namchoom, DC Namsai, R K Sharma, SP Thongdok and Heads of Departments of Namsai District.

While interacting with the inmates, Mein exhorted them to give away their bad habits and return to the main stream. He further exhorted the students not to indulge in harmful activities but to concentrate in their studies.  

Speaking about the seriousness of the government on the issue of drug menace,  he said that the state government has adopted ‘Arunachal Pradesh Policy on Psychoactive Substance 2021’ to deal with drug menace in coordinated efforts with multipronged strategies viz., demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction. Under the harm reduction, state government will establish state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation centres in Namsai, Itanagar and Bomdila, he added. He further informed that the government has increased the allocation under the ‘Chief Minister Nasha Mukti Abhiyan’ from Rs 4 Cr in the last year to Rs 15 Crore in this year for the purpose.

He lauded the Lotong Adi Banggo Kebang for organising the 3 months Special Drug De-addiction Camp while saying that "we need to guide the young generations in the right path for laying a foundation of a strong society."  

Chau Zingnu Namchoom called upon to strengthen the Gaon Burah Institution and to work in coordinated efforts to check drug trafficking from village to village.

Deputy Commissioner Namsai, R K Sharma informed that about 121 addicted persons were identified in the district. He said that more de-addiction camps is needed in other places of the district to cover all of them.

On the occasion,  President ABK Namsai, Bolen Ratan, General Secretary ABK Namsai, Birku Dai, Chairman Drug De-addiction Committee cum president, Lotong Adi Banggo kebang, Lakar Paleng and GB Namsai, Ratna Taduk also spoke on the occasion.

The Drug de-addiction Camp which began on 17th March in Govt Upper Primary School in new Jengthu during the school vacation was organized by Lotong Adi Banggo Kebang. They were assisted by the Doctors and Nurses of the Govt Hospitals for the Special Drugs De-addiction Camp.