Bhubaneswar: The state government has proposed declaring a 500-metre radius around all educational institutions across the state as ‘drug-free zones’ to protect students from substance abuse and ensure a healthy learning environment.
The initiative under the Na sha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan will cover schools, ITIs, polytechnics, colleges, universities and other technical and professional institutions, including their hostels. A meeting chaired by Develop ment Commissioner-cum-Ad ditional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh at Lok Seva Bhawan here Friday discussed the proposed action plan.
Senior officials from the Higher Education, Excise, Health, Home and School and Mass Education departments, besides the Special Task Force and CID-Crime Branch, attended the meeting. The proposed measures include setting up drug-free campus and mental health committees, appointing nodal officers and selecting student ambassadors in educational institutions.
Regular inspections will be conducted in coordination with police and Excise officials to prevent the sale of intoxicating substances within the designated zones.
Institutions will also install signboards, introduce complaint drop boxes and online reporting facilities, and organise monthly awareness programmes. The action plan also emphasises counselling, medical treatment and rehabilitation for students struggling with substance dependence rather than resorting to punitive measures alone.
Institutions complying with prescribed standards may be awarded ‘Drug Free Campus’ certificates.