Shimla, Oct. 2 -- Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta on Friday said the growing drug menace was no longer merely a law-and-order issue but a serious social and health challenge requiring collective action from society.
Launching the 'Sankalp Rath Yatra', an anti-drug awareness campaign organised by Utishtha Bharat Sewa Trust at Kasauli in Solan district, Gupta said drug-related cases were cutting across social and professional backgrounds.
In the past two years, 123 government servants have been found involved in drug-related cases, of whom 31, including 21 policemen, have been dismissed from service.
Gupta said the increasing reach of narcotics into communities, workplaces and the lives of young people was a matter of serious concern. He urged parents and teachers to remain alert to behavioural changes among children, listen to them patiently and provide family support.
The Governor said Kasauli should be known for its tourism, natural beauty and military heritage rather than drugs, calling for greater vigilance in tourist and border-connected areas.
He said the response must combine strict action against traffickers and organised crime with treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration. Drug trafficking could also involve cross-border networks, making it an internal security concern, he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.