Need united, concerted action to combat drug menace: Kataria
Addressing a conclave on ‘Stress Management and Drug Addiction in Universities & Colleges of Punjab’ at the Punjab Raj Bhavan here, Kataria suggested that a campus should be publicised as “drug free” if it genuinely is, and if not, efforts must be intensified until that status is achieved.
Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday told the vice-chancellors of universities in the state to ensure that their campuses are drug-free.
Addressing a conclave on ‘Stress Management and Drug Addiction in Universities & Colleges of Punjab’ at the Punjab Raj Bhavan here, Kataria suggested that a campus should be publicised as “drug free” if it genuinely is, and if not, efforts must be intensified until that status is achieved.
“This commitment should extend beyond the university campus to include affiliated colleges, ensuring that prevention and education start early,” he said.
He said the realisation of the golden dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 rests on the shoulders of a robust young generation who needed to be given a positive direction to wean them away from drug menace and channelise their abundant energy towards the welfare of society and ultimately the nation. He gave a clarion call for the united and concerted action to wipe out the drug scourge and said that emphasis must be on engaging the children in the extra co-curricular activities in the academic institutions to mould them into future leaders and role models.
Health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh said the supply chain should be broken to stop the inflow of drugs as Punjab does not produces drugs and is only a transit state. DGP Gaurav Yadav highlighted the narco-terrorism being perpetrated by Pakistan from across the border and the steps taken by the Punjab Police to combat the same. He also said that property worth ₹387 crore of drug smugglers had been frozen.
Prof Dr Pratima Murthy, director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Prof Renu Vig from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Prof SS Gosal from PAU, Ludhiana, Dr Manpreet Manna from Chandigarh University, Dr Sandhir Sharma from Chitkara University, Prof Karamjeet Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and state program officer, Mental Health and De-addiction, Punjab, Dr Sandeep Bhola also spoke on the occasion.