Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 14

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday directed officials to use technology for transparent monitoring of drug abuse victims and ordered a pilot rehabilitation programme in two districts before expanding it across the union territory.

Chairing a review meeting on the proposed Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026, Sinha said the pilot should be launched in one district each from Kashmir and Jammu divisions to evaluate its effectiveness.

“The pilot implementation should be closely monitored” so lessons can be incorporated before scaling up the scheme across Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Sinha asked officials to identify dedicated officers and trained women volunteers to support counselling and rehabilitation efforts, stressing that community participation was essential for the successful reintegration of recovering drug users.

“Community participation is crucial,” he said, adding that training programmes for staff should begin at the earliest.

He also called for a coordinated and outcome-oriented rehabilitation framework, with family support, skill development and continuous monitoring forming its core.

The proposed scheme envisages a three-year rehabilitation cycle covering treatment, livelihood support and long-term monitoring, with multiple departments working together.

Officials told the meeting that a Rehabilitation Monitoring Portal was being developed for digital case management, real-time monitoring and inter-departmental coordination while ensuring beneficiaries’ confidentiality.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary (Home) Chandraker Bharti, Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare, Sarmad Hafeez, and other senior officials.