Shimla 19February
Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday led an anti-drug rally in Sunni and said the state government will soon form a team of 1,000 anti-chitta volunteers to strengthen its campaign against synthetic drug abuse.
The rally, organised by the Shimla Rural Sports Cultural and Environment Association, began at the Sunni bus stand and culminated at the SDM office, with participation from hundreds of students and residents.
Addressing the gathering, Singh described the spread of “chitta” as one of the biggest challenges before the state, claiming that its network has reached villages and is affecting the youth. He said the government has adopted a four-pronged strategy — strict laws, effective policing, public awareness and rehabilitation — to tackle the menace.
He added that police and special task forces have been strengthened, inter-state coordination enhanced and surveillance around schools and colleges increased to curb drug supply. Informants providing credible information on drug trafficking will be rewarded between ₹10,000 and ₹10 lakh, with assured confidentiality, he said.
Singh said awareness campaigns under programmes like “Drug Free Himachal” are being conducted at the panchayat level, along with seminars and counselling sessions in educational institutions.
On the development front, the minister laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Thali bridge, estimated to cost around ₹10 crore, and inaugurated the SDM office in Sunni. He said projects worth ₹119 crore are underway in the area under the Public Works Department, with proposals worth ₹19 crore in the pipeline.
He also announced that Sunni School will be upgraded into a Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School with a budget of ₹5 crore, and that Shoghi School will be granted CBSE recognition in the future.
