Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 2 

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday pledged stringent action against drug traffickers and said the administration was committed to making J&K drug-free and protecting youth from narcotics abuse.

During an interaction with journalists at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar, LG Sinha highlighted achievements under the ongoing 100-day ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyaan’ and outlined a multi-pronged strategy aimed at dismantling drug networks and rehabilitating addicts.

“It’s my vision to make J&K drug-free and save its youth from destruction,” he said. “For this, we have devised a three-pronged strategy comprising breaking supply chains, creating awareness from villages to colonies and ensuring rehabilitation of drug addicts.”

The LG said authorities were implementing strict measures against narcotics traffickers under a zero-tolerance policy.

He said action against drug peddlers would include attachment of properties, seizure of vehicles, freezing of bank accounts, cancellation of driving licences and Aadhaar cards, and recommendations for passport revocation.

“Some drug peddlers have been building narco palaces. Subsequently this money is used for terrorism,” LG Sinha said. “We are committed to dismantling such narco palaces.”

Calling narcotics trafficking a threat comparable to terrorism, he said authorities would treat traffickers with utmost seriousness.

“Narcotics smuggling is no less than terrorism. We will treat drug traffickers as terrorists,” the LG said.

He said the administration was closely monitoring pharmacies for misuse of Schedule X medicines and warned that medical shops involved in illegal sale of such drugs could face closure.

LG Sinha announced plans to expand de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities through outpatient and inpatient departments in government hospitals and said authorities would monitor rehabilitated addicts for up to three years to prevent relapse.

He said the anti-drug campaign had received strong public support across Jammu and Kashmir, with large participation in awareness drives and rallies.

“Our youth are being consumed by drugs and it is our collective responsibility to save our younger generation,” the LG said, adding that religious leaders also had a role in spreading awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.

He launched the 100-day Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyaan on April 11 from Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu as part of a wider anti-drug initiative across the Union Territory.

LG Sinha said the campaign would continue beyond the initial 100 days and urged citizens to actively participate in the movement against drugs.