To tackle drug menace, CM launches ‘Sankalp’

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday launched ‘Sankalp,’ an initiative aimed at tackling the growing menace of drug addiction among the youth of the state. He attended a religious event organised by the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan.

The Chief Minister said that the government was committed to curbing drug trafficking and supporting rehabilitation efforts. “The state government has given strict instructions for action against drug traffickers. Several persons have been arrested over the past one month and stringent measures are being taken to protect the youth from falling prey to this menace. Our goal is to help those affected by addiction and reunite them with their families and reintegrate them into society,” he added.

Sukhu said that the government would establish a state-level model de-addiction and rehabilitation centre at Kotla Barog in Pachhad subdivision of Sirmaur district. This centre would assist individuals battling substance abuse and help reintegrate them into mainstream society, he added.

He said that a centre of excellence was also being constructed at Kandaghat in Solan district to provide higher education to 9,000 specially-abled children in the state. The state government was providing free education to 23,000 children of widows and single women and a scheme was under implementation to ensure the welfare of the elderly.

The Chief Minister said that such spiritual programmes were aimed at inspiring individuals towards inner awakening, encouraging them to recognise their inner strength and fulfil their responsibilities to society in the right manner. He added that saints, gurus and social reformers had made relentless efforts to eradicate social evils, strengthen the foundation of society and make individual lives more meaningful and balanced. He praised the efforts of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, saying it had done outstanding work in the field of social welfare both in India and abroad.

Sukhu reiterated the government’s plan of making Himachal a green energy state by March 2026. He stressed the need to protect Himachal Pradesh’s natural beauty and cultural heritage while advancing sustainable development. “I have written to Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him that the Kalka-Shimla train may be run on green hydrogen, as part of our efforts to transform Himachal into a green state.”