gram-panchayat-in-himachal-pradesh-imposes-fine-on-families-of-drug-addicts-honours-drug-free-families

The Lambloo gram panchayat in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh has issued a directive stating that families of drug addicts will be required to pay fines as determined by the Mahila Mandal. 

 

Conversely, families free from drug addiction will be recognised and honoured with the title of 'ideal families'. 

 

Led by Kartar Singh Chauhan, a former educationist, the panchayat has established drug-free committees in its wards, assigning the responsibility of eradicating drug abuse to women workers.

 

"Families with members suffering from drug addiction will be subject to fines determined by the Mahila Mandal," stated Chauhan.

 

Furthermore, the resolution emphasises that households devoid of drug addiction, including those abstaining from smoking, will be bestowed with the prestigious title of 'ideal families'.

 

As part of the initiative, women committee members are conducting door-to-door visits to collect signatures from female residents, confirming their commitment to a drug-free lifestyle. These signed undertakings are to be submitted to the panchayat bhawan office.

 

Additionally, if any individual within a household is found to be addicted to drugs, the women workers are obligated to assure the panchayat that the individual will overcome their addiction within a specified timeframe.

 

Prior to this directive, Chauhan had spearheaded campaigns against drug abuse with the assistance of local administration and government officials. Similar initiatives were undertaken within government offices situated in the vicinity of the panchayat.

 

The initiative gained significance against the backdrop of an incident last October at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hamirpur, where a student's death due to an alleged drug overdose drew attention to drug-related issues on the campus. 

 

Subsequent police searches led to the discovery of contraband within the institute, resulting in the arrest of nine individuals, including drug suppliers, peddlers, and students.