THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Labour and Excise Minister TP Ramakrishnan has said that the government would take stringent action against shops selling prohibited drugs near educational institutions and prevent them from reopening if found guilty of the offenses.
“Currently, many such shops reopen. To change the scenario, the Excise Department and the Local Self-Government institutions would together take severe action against such shops and prevent them from reopening,” he said while chairing the state’s drug and addiction-free mission - Vimukthi’s executive committee meeting here on Saturday.
Ramakrishnan said the Excise Department had registered 67,713 cases under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 12,425 Excise cases and 6,573 cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) in 2019.
He said excise and health departments in collaboration with the ‘Ardram’ Mission would open `100-crore model de-addiction centre at Kinalur in Kozhikode.
Ramakrishnan said ‘Vimukthi Sena’ units would be formed in all the wards in the state by January 30 to keep track of drug-related activities.
Out of the 19,499 wards in the state, Vimukthi Sena units had already been formed in 11,550 of them. Each unit will have 5 to 10 members, including two women, Anganwadi workers, Asha workers and Kudumbashree workers.
He said anti-drug clubs will be set up in all schools, professional colleges and medical colleges. Currently, such clubs are functioning in 3,739 schools and 576 colleges.
“Apart from this, around 7,500 anti-drug clubs will be established in all libraries in the state. Various anti-drug campaigns such as evening gatherings, home visits and lighting the lamp against drugs will also be organised,” Ramakrishnan said.