District Collector V. Vinod Kumar, speaking at the Narco Coordination Center (NCORD) conducted a district-level committee meeting at the mini-conference hall at the Collectorate here on Friday, called for the wider participation of all stakeholders to eradicate the cultivation and transportation of ganja and other narcotic drugs within the district.
He stressed that awareness programs should be conducted in all educational institutions about the ill effects of drug abuse.
The Collector said that a recent ganja case reported in Rayadurgam division in June prompted heightened inspections of private buses and other vehicles entering the district from the neighbourhood and other States.
Vinod Kumar instructed the officials to establish a de-addiction ward at the Government General Hospital in Anantapur. He also suggested that the officials implement regular passenger checks at the check-posts in the district bordering Karnataka. He insisted on the daily scrutiny of suspected vehicles and obtaining detailed information about the occupants. He sought the officials to conduct a special awareness drive against the drug menace in high schools and colleges, besides intensifying surveillance. Identification of critical locations of drug trafficking and heightened vigilance in remote areas were also proposed.
Vinod Kumar further called for arrangements to display awareness posters throughout the district, apart from the installation of CCTV cameras in educational institutions and hostels.
The officials present at the meeting included Additional SP Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, Excise Superintendent Madhusudan, Deputy Transport Commissioner Veerraju, Revenue Divisional Officer (Kalyanadurgam) Rani Sushmita, District Medical and Health Officer E.B. Devi, and others.
