Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister, Ravinder Indraj Singh, chaired a crucial review meeting on Wednesday to assess the progress of the drug de-addiction campaign in the city’s North-East district.
He informed that he had written to the Police Commissioner, urging that beat officers in the affected areas be made accountable for curbing drug sale hotspots.
Indraj directed the police to identify the ‘dark spots’ in the concerned district—areas where drug abuse incidents are rampant—and ensure enhanced surveillance in those locations.
The meeting was attended by officials from the District Magistrate’s office, Police Department, Health, Education, Women & Child Development, Narcotics Control Bureau, Social Welfare Department, and other related departments, along with representatives from non-governmental organisations working in the region.
The Minister emphasised the need to sensitise and train police officers and strictly implement legal provisions against drug trafficking.
The Police Department has been instructed to share the list of identified dark spots with other stakeholders so that continuous awareness campaigns can be carried out at those sites.
He also directed the concerned departments to monitor and regulate the sale of substances allegedly being misused for intoxication, especially from medical stores and other outlets.
Indraj reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, coordinated efforts should be made with various departments and community stakeholders to make Delhi drug-free and developed, under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Drug-Free India Campaign).
The Minister asserted that the most effective strategy to control drug abuse is to focus on preventive measures targeted at youth and adolescents.
He instructed the prohibition of the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of educational institutions, with support from police and local communities.
He also urged schools and colleges to develop a network of volunteers to raise awareness in high-risk areas. Additionally, he called on major universities in Delhi to form “Drug-Free Campus Clubs” and declare their campuses as Drug-Free Zones.
During the meeting, the Minister further instructed officials to develop open gym facilities in parks, expand skill development options for youth, establish new de-addiction centres, and conduct awareness programs, especially for parents, to help them identify early signs of drug abuse in children.