Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said that drugs would be completely disrooted from Devbhoomi by the involvement of Panchayat representatives. He stressed the need for collective efforts to maintain the meaning and dignity of Devbhoomi and save the future of the youth.
The Governor was speaking at the inauguration of the State Level Workshop on the Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Combating Drug and Substance Abuse organised by the Panchayati Raj Department at Raj Bhawan here today. He appreciated the efforts of the Department for organizing this vital workshop, addressing the issue that affects the health, social stability, and economic progress of our beloved state. “Young people, in particular, are at risk, and if we fail to address this issue effectively, we risk losing our most precious resource—our youth”, said Shukla.
The Governor said that the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were central to combating this menace and as the closest representatives of the people, they have a unique ability to understand, influence, and support those affected by substance abuse. “By maintaining close connections with the community, Panchayats can identify individuals at risk and help them seek support before addiction takes hold”, said the Governor.
He added that they could encourage the development of local support groups, rehabilitation programmes, and counselling centers, which provide much-needed resources to those fighting addiction and their families. He said that the meaning of Devbhoomi should remain at all cost and there should be no place for drugs which were destroying the community values resulting in the breakdown of joint families. He said that the police was doing its work to stop drug addiction but panchayat representatives should work to increase awareness.
He also advised that the government should operate drug prevention centers at its own level. He said that Panchayats have a vital role in working closely with local law enforcement and healthcare providers to create a safe environment for communities. Establishing community policing and vigilance committees could help curb the illegal supply of drugs, he added. He said that such workshops could guide Panchayat members to act decisively and effectively in their roles. He urged them to take this responsibility to heart.
“Together, we can build a strong, resilient society that not only resists substance abuse but offers support, compassion, and hope to those who need it most”, said Shukla. He said that this workshop would be a milestone in strengthening our collective fight against drug and substance abuse. He urged each participant to take the knowledge and strategies from this workshop back to their communities and commit to the mission of building a drug-free Himachal Pradesh. The Governor honored the state’s best performing Gram Panchayats on the occasion.
He also released the book on the role of Panchayati Raj institutions in dealing with the consumption of intoxicants. Later, the Governor flagged off the state level master trainers. Anirudh Singh, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister said that drug addiction was snatching the dreams of the youth. He said that Panchayat Representatives were the patrons of rural India and had a deep connection with the people. He suggested that efforts like awareness campaign, street plays should be made with public participation. Activities like Youth Club, Entertainment Club and Sports should be encouraged and monitoring at the rural level would have to be strengthened.
He said that the police was doing better work but it was our collective responsibility to come forward against this evil. He said that there was a need for collective commitment against drugs. He said that drug-free panchayats would be encouraged in some form or the other. Rajesh Sharma, Secretary, Panchayati Raj Department felicitated and welcomed the Governor and Rural and Panchayati Raj Minister on the occasion. He detailed the initiatives and programmes being undertaken by the department to deal with drug and substance abuse.
He said that this was a multi-dimensional problem, and the Panchayat representatives could play an important role for its solution. He said that the police and administration were taking action against people involved in illegal drug trade at their level, but until the Panchayat representatives were not involved in this campaign, meaningful results would not be expected. He apprised that 150 Panchayat representatives were participating in this workshop and there were 40 master trainers.
Earlier, Raghav Sharma, Director, Panchayati Raj Department gave his presentation on drug and substance abuse. He said that today there were 15982 women representatives in the Panchayati Raj institutions in the State who were working as the ‘workforce’ for the government and the society. Neeraj Chandla, Additional Director, Panchayati Raj proposed a vote of thanks. C.P. Verma, Secretary to Governor, Anupam Kashyap, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Sanjeev Gandhi, Superintendent of Police and other prominent people and officers were also present on the occasion.
