Drug menace: Govt looks to collaborate with stakeholders

SHILLONG, Dec 22: The Meghalaya government plans to collaborate with private stakeholders, including NGOs and localities, in a bid to tackle the growing drug problem and establish rehabilitation centres.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Sunday underscored the need for a collaborative approach to strengthen the anti-drug drive.
“We feel that the government doing it alone would not be as successful. We are looking at localities, NGOs, and different organisations who would partner with the government to run rehabilitation centres,” he said.
“The government will fund, finance, and support such initiatives. That would be a better model than the government opening up centres on its own,” he added.
The chief minister said the focus would initially be on areas deemed more vulnerable to drug abuse, with plans to expand to all districts over time. “We hope to establish as many centres as possible, starting with more vulnerable areas. Then we will ensure we can help in every district,” he said.
When asked about the reported 3 lakh drug users in Meghalaya, Sangma said the figure needs to be verified but stressed that the numbers highlight the urgency of the issue.
“Whether it’s 3 lakh or 1 lakh or even 10,000, we should not have any drug users. The supply chain should be choked completely, and the people involved in transport, supply, or distribution should be hit hard,” the chief minister said.