UDHAMPUR: Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Saloni Rai today chaired a meeting of the District Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) Committee to review the measures in place to eradicate illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and to reinforce measures aimed at curbing drug abuse in the district.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Prem Singh and the officers from the stakeholder departments.
Taking a comprehensive review, the DC assessed the progress made in identification and rehabilitation of addicts, status of PIT-NDPS cases, drug seizures during 2025, action taken against erring pharmacies, enforcement of mandatory installation of CCTV cameras, adherence to computerized billing by Medical stores, measures against illicit crop cultivation, rehabilitation of substance abuse victims, inspection of de-addiction centres, block-wise data on drug abusers, identification of hotspots, surveillance of educational institutions, IEC campaigns, mass awareness programmes, Nasha mukti abhiyan, Nasha mukti panchayats and cases registered under the NDPS Act.
The meeting also focused on strengthening inter-departmental coordination to effectively track and apprehend individuals involved in drug trafficking, identify abuse hotspots and promote community-based rehabilitation and awareness initiatives.
The DC directed the stakeholder departments to intensify counselling services and enhance IEC activities to sensitise the public about the harmful effects of drug abuse. She instructed college heads to organise regular awareness programmes within their institutions.
The Chief Medical Officer was asked to conduct sensitisation and counselling sessions for healthcare staff across all health institutions. The Police Department was directed to upload police-station-wise details of NDPS cases on the designated portal.
Emphasising strict enforcement, the Deputy Commissioner stressed the need for effectively tracking down illicit substances peddlers to safeguard the youth from falling prey to drug addiction
Meanwhile, SDMs were directed to organise awareness drives within their respective jurisdictions to sensitise the public about the ill effects of drugs.