Una, November 18: Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal announced that drug prevention committees will be formed in all 245 Panchayats in the district. He issued instructions to various departments in this regard, asking them to propose the names of their respective department members within two days and provide a Panchayat-wise list so that the committees can be formally notified.
The Deputy Commissioner was presiding over a departmental meeting on this issue held in the DRDA meeting room on Tuesday.
He stated that the Principal of the local school will be the Chairman of the committee to be formed in each Panchayat. The committee will include the Panchayat Secretary, Patwari, Asha Worker, Mahila Mandal representative, senior citizen/social worker, volunteer, and police constable.
The Deputy Commissioner stated that Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has a special focus on drug prevention and the anti-Chitta campaign in the state. The government is pursuing public awareness in a mission mode, while simultaneously cracking down on the illegal drug trade. Strong committees formed at the Panchayat level will play a vital role in creating awareness, changing family behavior, and ensuring a safe environment for children.
He stated that the purpose of appointing school principals as chairpersons of the committees is to enable them to directly engage with children and parents and conduct effective awareness campaigns, and to ensure action by immediately reporting any suspicious activity on or around the school premises to the police.
The Deputy Commissioner directed the SDM to review the work of these committees every month.
Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Bhatia, Assistant Commissioner Varinder Sharma, SDM Haroli Vishal Sharma, SDM Gagret Saumil Gautam, SDM Bangana Sonu Goyal, Chief Medical Officer Dr. S.K. Verma, District Panchayat Officer Shravan Kumar, Deputy Directors of Education Anil Kumar and Sohan Lal, along with district heads of various departments were present at the meeting.