Bhubaneswar: Odisha will launch a comprehensive programme in coordination with various departments to curb illegal drug trafficking and marijuana cultivation across the state, Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced.
Harichandan stated that public awareness would be raised through traditional folk performances such as Pala, Daskathia, Goti dance, roadside plays, and school-level essay competitions aimed at educating youth about the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking.
According to official sources Saturday, illegal drug trafficking has declined since the new government assumed office.
The Excise department, along with the police and special squads, has been conducting regular raids. As a result, numerous illegal liquor shops have been shut down, and large quantities of raw materials and vehicles have been seized.
Several individuals involved in the trade have also been arrested. “However, we must all intensify our efforts to completely eradicate the illegal drug trade from our state,” Harichandan emphasised.
Presiding over a review meeting, the Excise minister announced that an awareness campaign will be held from May 31 to June 26 to prevent the use and traffi cking of illegal drugs across Odisha.
He emphasised that every department has a vital role in the state-wide programme. “From school campuses to village panchayats, the message of drug awareness must reach every corner of the state,” he said.
To ensure the campaign’s success, Harichandan stressed the need to highlight the harmful effects of drug abuse through street plays in busy marketplaces and folk art forms like Pala and Daskathia.
He instructed senior officials to promote awareness through mobile awareness vans at the district, sub-district, and block levels and directed the department to compile a daily activity schedule for the campaign.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja recommended organising essay competitions on drug abuse at the school level, involving self-help groups from villages, and conducting sustained awareness drives.
PNN
