New Delhi: Officials of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Thursday held discussions over the National Mass Pledge Against Drug Abuse that has been scheduled this month to mark the sixth anniversary of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA).
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the Nodal Ministry that aims to mobilise 10 crore-plus citizens through both physical and online participation for the pledge, an official statement said.
In this connection, two high-level coordination meetings chaired by Joint Secretary (Drug Prevention) Sandeep Rewaji Rathod, were held in national capital to discuss the plan and the comprehensive strategy to ensure the participation of the target number of citizens.
The meetings were also attended by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment Director Astik Kumar Pandey, Under Secretary Arun Kumar Karn, besides other officials of the Ministry.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) on August 15, 2020, to combat drug demand in the country.
Recognising the urgent need for collective action, the Ministry coordinates various initiatives, including prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, aftercare, public information dissemination, and community awareness.
The Ministry is implementing a comprehensive and evidence-based strategy under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
The strategy is based on the findings of the first National Survey on the Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted by National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Under NAPDDR, the Ministry provides financial assistance to state governments, Union Territories, NGOs and government hospitals for preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
As of now, the campaign has reached more than 34.56 crore citizens, including over 13.71 crore youth and 10.65 crore women, through nationwide awareness activities.
More than 1.64 Lakh Nasha Mukti Mitras (NMM) have also joined the campaign to strengthen community participation.
The meetings on Thursday were attended by the senior representatives from various Ministries and departments, reviewed the ongoing work for the implementation strategy.
“The role of Line Ministries and Departments was discussed in mobilising officers, officials, students, parents, volunteers and other stakeholders for the nationwide pledge,” the statement said.
(IANS)
