87 drug peddlers arrested, Rs 1.5 Crore property attached, 6 illegal assets  demolished, around million awareness-cum- outreach activities held during 100-Day Nasha Mukt Abhiyan in Budgam

• DC urges citizens for responsible contribution towards drug-free district

BUDGAM: District Administration Budgam and Police has achieved significant success under the 100-Day Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan,  intensifying its crackdown on drug peddlers and strengthening preventive, enforcement and rehabilitation measures across the district.

During the 100 day campaign, launched by Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha across Jammu and Kashmir on April 11 this year, as many as 87 drug peddlers were arrested, while nine notorious offenders were detained under the PIT-NDPS Act.

During the crackdown, six  properties both movable and immovable worth Rs 1.50 crore belonging to drug peddlers were attached, while six illegally constructed properties were demolished. During the campaign, 89 cases under the NDPS Act were registered against drug peddlers in the district.

Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Athar Aamir Khan said the fight against the drug mafia will continue with full vigour. He appealed to parents, educational institutions, community leaders and society at large to actively contribute towards making Budgam a drug-free district.

He said that the campaign received massive public participation, with rigorous, a million awareness cum  outreach activities including seminars, essay, painting competition, interactive sessions, door to door campaigning, debates, plantation,  cleanliness drives, sports events etc, were conducted by various departments across the district on day basis during the 100-day programme. 

 The Pad Yatra organised on May 5 further re-energised the anti-drug campaign and reinforced the message of collective responsibility. The campaign launched under the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor, witnessed  massive public participation across Budgam District, with people from different walks of life volunteering to contribute to curb the drug menace in the society.

Among other strict administrative measures taken during the campaign, 136 Aadhaar numbers were recommended for flagging, two passports were recommended for cancellation, one arms licence and one driving licence were suspended, while 20 vehicle registrations were suspended or blacklisted.

To curb the illegal sale of narcotic substances through medical outlets, 47 pharmacy licences were suspended, 30 unlicensed medical shops were sealed, and three drug licences were cancelled. Besides, four FIRs were registered for serious violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

In its drive against illegal cultivation of narcotic crops, the administration registered six FIRs against poppy cultivators and destroyed illegal poppy and cannabis cultivation spread over more than 56 kanals of land across the district.

On the rehabilitation front, the Deputy Commissioner said 48 patients are currently undergoing treatment through OPD and IPD services at the Drug De-addiction Centre, while 12 recovered individuals have been rehabilitated under various self-employment schemes during the campaign. At the Addiction Treatment Facility, 93 patients were registered, and 3,450 psychological and clinical follow-up sessions were conducted.

The Deputy Commissioner further said that nearly 100 CCTV cameras have been installed at identified drug hotspots jointly by the civil administration and police to strengthen surveillance. Intensive awareness campaigns were also conducted through eight Nasha Mukt Panchayats, five Urban Local Bodies, 296 Youth Clubs and 285 Mahila Samitis, ensuring widespread community participation in the movement against drug abuse.

The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that the administration, in close coordination with the police and all stakeholders, will continue its sustained and uncompromising campaign against drug trafficking while simultaneously focusing on awareness, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation to build a drug-free Budgam.