Srinagar, May 3 (IANS) Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday called upon people to come together to build a Jammu and Kashmir where no child is lost to drugs, no family is broken by addiction, and no community suffers.

Speaking at the launch of the signature campaign against drug abuse and narco-terrorism at TRC Football Ground in Srinagar, Sinha said, “In the war against drug abuse and narco-terrorism, every step matters. Every effort counts. Every contribution brings victory closer.”

“Together, let us envision a Jammu Kashmir where no child is lost to drugs, no family is broken by addiction, no community suffers under traffickers, and every citizen thrives in health and strength,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor also led a two-km Padyatra, urging people from all walks of life to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the fight against substance abuse.

“Today, let us pledge that we will not rest until Jammu Kashmir is completely drug-free,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He said the active participation of the people is the unshakable force capable of defeating the enemies’ assault through narco-terrorism.

“Drug traffickers and their networks have targeted our youth. We have taken a solemn oath that we will never allow them to succeed,” he said.

Sinha said, “I also want to tell our youth that drugs are not ‘cool’, but they are chains that steal your freedom. Your energy belongs to sports fields, skill platforms, and the building of a brighter future.”

Outlining the government’s efforts to fight the drug menace, Sinha said that under a new SoP, we are taking stringent action.

Between April 11 and May 2, the Jammu and Kashmir divisions together recorded 481 FIRs in just 21 days. During this period, 518 drug smugglers and peddlers were sent to jail, while 24 houses, which were proceeds of crime, were demolished and property worth crores was seized, he said.

Kashmir alone accounted for 26 of these attachments. In addition, authorities have recommended the cancellation of more than 300 driving licences, said Sinha.

Across the region, cancellation of 325 vehicle registrations has been recommended. Nearly 3,000 drug stores were inspected, leading to 107 licence suspensions and one FIR, he said.

These figures highlight how police and civil administration, backed by public cooperation, are enforcing a strict “Zero Tolerance to Drugs” policy aimed at dismantling the supply chain completely, said Sinha

–IANS

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