Hot spots, vulnerable population to be identified
Sting operations to be launched to disrupt supply chains
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 20: In order to objectively evaluate the claims being made in different districts, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has notified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) detailing objective criteria, actionable strategy and periodic review mechanism for declaring a Panchayat, Urban Local Body (ULB) and Ward as “Nasha Mukt” under the “Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan”.
EXCELSIOR had exclusively reported in the month of September this year that Government was not ready to accept the claims being made about “Nasha Mukt” villages in different districts and wanted to put in place a detailed mechanism in this regard.
Moreover, it was disclosed that a committee comprising of Commissioner Secretaries of General Administration and Social Welfare Departments and Inspector General of Police Crime has been assigned task of formulating Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Now, on the recommendations of the committee and approval of the Government, the SOP detailing objective criteria, actionable strategy and periodic review mechanism for declaring a Panchayat, Urban Local Body (ULB) and Ward as “Nasha Mukt” under the “Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan” has been notified by the General Administration Department.
As per the SOP, any Panchayat, Urban Local Body and Ward will be declared as “Nasha Mukt” only when the cultivated area under any illicit crop (including area under illicit crops growing in wild) in the Panchayat/ ULB/Ward is zero and area of Panchayat/ ULB/Ward must be free from any activity relating to processing/manufacturing of any product which is banned under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Moreover, certificate will be issued only when there is no case of drug addiction from the area of Panchayat/ ULB/ Ward in the last six months, no drug smuggler/ peddler is residing/ operating in the Panchayat/ ULB/ Ward at the time of certification, no person in the Panchayat/ULB/Ward is booked/detained/convicted under NDPS Act at the time of certification and no person in the Panchayat/ULB/Ward is booked under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
About the strategy to be adopted for achieving the status of “Nasha Mukt”, the SOP said that regular Gram Sabha/Bal Sabha/Youth Club/Mahila Sabha/Senior Citizen’s Club meetings should be organized on drug menace at least once in a month and the Government Departments like Police, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Excise, Health and Medical Education, Revenue, School Education etc should work in coordination and highlight the hazardous implications of cultivation/consumption of illicit crops.
“Local Committees/Youth Clubs/Religious Organizations should be proactively involved in combating the problem of drug addiction and focus should be on organizing events such as Nukkad Nataks, walkathons, cycle rallies etc for mass awareness generation”, the SOP said, adding “regular awareness programmes should be held in educational institutions of the Panchayat/ULB/Ward on drug addiction/de-addiction at least once in a month and law enforcement agencies should take effective measures like regular police patrolling, sting operations and efforts to disrupt drug supply chains in the Panchayat/ULB/Ward”.
In the SOP thrust has been laid on motivating the people residing in Panchayat/ULB/Ward (highly vulnerable to illicit crops) for cultivating alternative cash crops for which Agriculture Production Department will explore all possibilities. “Hot spots and vulnerable population in the Panchayat/ULB/Ward should be identified and due attention should be given to them”, the SOP added.
It has been stressed that persons booked or detained under NDPS Act in the Panchayat/ULB/Ward during last three months should be reported and monitored regularly and drug abusers of the Panchayat/ULB/Ward, who have been sent to Rehabilitation Centers/Drug-De-Addiction Centers for treatment/counseling during the last three months should be monitored and measures should be taken for their well-being.
Tehsil Level, Sub-Division Level and District Level Committees, constituted vide Government Order No. 1006-JK(GAD) of 2022, dated 05.09.2022, shall meet at least once a month and review the progress achieved in respect of implementation of “Nasha Mukt Abhiyan”.
The overall monitoring of certification will be done by the District Level Committee, upon receipt of recommendations from Tehsil Level Committees and Sub-Divisional Level Committees, with the stipulation that “Nasha Mukt” certificate shall be issued by the District Magistrate of the concerned district.
“The Nasha Mukt status of Panchayats/Wards shall be reviewed on half-yearly basis and certifications issued shall either continue or shall be withdrawn in light of performance of the Panchayat/Ward on the laid down parameters”, the SOP said.
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