Bhubaneswar
The Odisha government on Sunday announced a 100-week statewide campaign to eliminate drug abuse, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reaffirming the government’s commitment to making Odisha a completely drug-free state.
The announcement was made during the state-level launch of the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047’ campaign at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The nationwide anti-drug initiative was launched virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi.
Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, and hundreds of students participated in the programme organised by MY Bharat under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Governor administered the ‘Drug-Free Youth – Developed India Pledge’ to participants.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Majhi said the campaign would not remain a one-day event but would continue as a sustained social movement for the next 100 weeks. He said the youth would play a crucial role in building a developed India by 2047 and warned that drug addiction had emerged as a serious social and economic challenge, affecting individuals, families and the state’s development.
The Chief Minister also reiterated the Odisha government’s Zero Tolerance policy against illegal drug trafficking and pledged strict action against drug syndicates operating in the state.
Governor Kambhampati urged young people to choose sports, fitness, yoga and community service over substance abuse, describing them as the true path to personal growth. He stressed that a drug-free society could only be achieved through collective efforts involving parents, teachers, social organisations and the youth.
According to the programme, more than one crore youth participated from over 10,000 locations across the country in the nationwide anti-drug pledge.
Quote
This is not a one-day programme but a social movement that will continue for the next 100 weeks.
Mohan Charan Majhi, CM