Alarming depth of drug penetration across villages, towns
Over 3000 Panchayats far from becoming drug-free zones
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 30: Nearly two years after Jammu and Kashmir rolled out a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to declare Panchayats and Urban Local Body (ULB) wards as Nasha Mukt, the ground reality paints a grim picture as barely 1,000 of over 4,000 Panchayats have achieved the status and not a single ward of any Urban Local Body has met the criteria. The figures expose how deeply drugs have penetrated both rural and urban pockets of the UT despite massive administrative machinery and repeated Government claims.
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The SOP formalized through Government Order No. 1641-JK(GAD) of 2023 dated December 20, 2023, and in continuation of the earlier order of September 2022 laid down strict criteria for certifying any Panchayat, ULB or Ward as Nasha Mukt.
“However, even after the lapse of nearly two years, not even a single ward of any Urban Local Body has achieved the Naska Mukt status. This is notwithstanding the repeated claims by various agencies of aggressive awareness drives, seizures, arrests and rehabilitation efforts”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
They further said, “the situation clearly reveals that the drug problem is far more deep-rooted than the Government agencies recognize. In two years, if the administration cannot achieve Nasha Mukt status even in one urban ward, what does that say about the seriousness of implementation”, adding “this is not just administrative laxity, it reflects how pervasive and resilient the drug networks are”.
“While the SOP mandated monthly Nukkad Nataks, cycle rallies, walkathons, social media campaigns and school-level sensitization programmes, ground reports indicate these are happening only occasionally and mostly in a symbolic manner”, they remarked, adding “the prevailing situation is also a big question mark on the functioning of the district, tehsil and sub-divisional committees which were constituted as early as September 2022 to ensure regular monitoring and inter-departmental coordination, crucial for declaring any ULB ward as Nasha Mukht”.
As far as rural areas of the Union Territory are concerned, only around 1000 Panchayats have attained the status of Nasha Mukt as against over 4000 Panchayats across Jammu and Kashmir and this indicates that drug trade is more active and complex in urban as well as rural pockets.
“The Government’s ambition to create drug-free Panchayats and ULB wards now appears distant unless drastic corrective measures, strict accountability and real-time monitoring are introduced”, sources said, adding “the slow progress reflects the gravity of the menace and the urgent need for stronger, ground-based action. With the youth increasingly falling prey to addiction and drug trafficking networks expanding, the Union Territory cannot afford further delays”.
Several concerned officers, when contacted, said, “multidimensional coordination required under the SOP is simply not happening on ground”, adding “in view of the sluggish progress in obtaining Nasha Mukt status, the Government should immediately convene meetings at different levels to review the implementation of the SOP otherwise objective behind the same will remain unfulfilled”.
The criteria for certifying any Panchayat, ULB or Ward as Nasha Mukt included zero cultivation of illicit crops, the area of Panchayat/ULB ward must be free from any activity relating to processing and manufacturing of any product which is banned under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA), no case of drug addiction should have been reported from the area of Panchayat/ULB ward in the last six months, no drug peddler or smuggler residing or operating in the area and no NDPS Act case is registered in the area in the last six months.
The SOP also mandates monthly meetings of Gram Sabhas, Mahila Sabhas, Youth Clubs, monthly awareness programmes in schools, fortnightly illicit crop destruction drives, focus on alternative cash crops, visible display of de-addiction helpline numbers in every Panchayat, encouraging youngsters residing in Panchayat/ULB ward to involve in sports activities as far as possible so as to keep them away from drug addiction and other social evils, identification of hot spots and vulnerable population for necessary action etc.
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