PEERZADA SAYEED
Kupwara, July 23: A meeting of District Level Committee of Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) was on Tuesday held under the Chairpersonship of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kupwara, Ms. Ayushi Sudan (IAS) at Mini-Meeting Hall of DC Office Complex in order to discuss the comprehensive strategy to counter the menace of drug abuse in frontier district Kupwara.
The DC reviewed the implementation of the measures taken and progress achieved to eliminate drug abuse and its peddling in Kupwara District.
At the outset, the DC took a detailed appraisal from concerned members of NCORD Committee regarding the present scenario of drug related occurrences, areas of concern, age group of addicts, hot spots of drug abuse in the District.
The Deputy Commissioner took feedback from the members of the Committee who presented the latest report related to action taken against drug-addiction and drug trafficking in the last one month in the District.
On the occasion, the DC stressed upon the Officers of all the line Departments to further intensify IEC activities, connecting communities including religious influencers and civil society members.
The DC also emphasized the Officers including Enforcement agencies for identification and categorization of entry points and hot spots of drugs, public places and abandoned buildings where drugs are consumed and distributed and asked concerned departments and agencies to keep a close vigil on such places.
Similarly, the DC also laid thrust on further intensifying IEC campaigns (seminars, rallies and other programmes on the harmful effects of drug menace) at Schools and Colleges levels to sensitize students and common masses about ill-effects of drugs and close coordination between Health and Education Department.
The DC meticulously reviewed the functioning of Drug De-addiction Centre Kupwara and Addiction Treatment Facility Centre (ATFC) Handwara and stressed for making them fully functional so that sufferings of the drug- affected persons is mitigated. She emphasized on ensuring proper counseling and rehabilitation for individuals struggling with addiction.
On the occasion CMO Kupwara Dr. Ramzan appraised the chair that 1138 cases of drug and substance abuse have been identified in the district, 639 have been treated, 334 cases fully recovered and 76 relapsed till date.
CMO said 37 awareness programmes in collaboration with the education department were organized in the district till date.
It was given out that 100 percent CCTV cameras have been installed in the medical stores of the district.
CMO further said that last month 10 samples of drugs were lifted which came standard in quality. CMO further apprised that this month 10 samples of drugs have been lifted whose report is awaited.
On the occasion, Medical Superintendent District Hospital Handwara apprised that OPD at ATFC Handwara is functional and a 10- bedded full- fledged ward is being set up after the finalization of recruitment of the staff.
ASP Kupwara apprised the meeting that as many as 44 FIRs were registered, 63 new drug peddlers were arrested in 2024 and lodged in different jails besides seizure of heroin, Charas, brown sugar.
The meeting among others was attended by ADC Kupwara, Mohammd Rouf Rehman, ASP Kupwara, G.M Bhat, CMO Kupwara, Medical Superintendent DH Handwara, Tehsildars besides other concerned Officers.
