SHILLONG, June 6: The Meghalaya social welfare department in collaboration with the home (police) department and the East Khasi Hills district administration will be holding a consultative meeting of MLAs and members of district councils (MDCs) with the Dorbar Shnong of the Greater Shillong Area on Friday at the State Convention Centre here as a part of the Drug Reduction Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM).
DREAM, launched in June last year, is a targeted mission to build a ‘Drug Free Meghalaya’, which deploys a multifaceted coordinated strategy that leverages the combined efforts of the state and local communities to eliminate the incidence of substance use in the state.
Social welfare minister, Paul Lyngdoh has appealed to the Dorbar Shnong of Greater Shillong to attend this crucial meeting on Friday. Their participation and support will be crucial in the state’s collective effort to combat substance abuse and build a safer, drug free Meghalaya, he said.
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The consultative meeting seeks to identify gaps in the current system, which can be achieved by partnering with communities, such as the VDPs. As per the Meghalaya Village Defence Organisation Rules 2008, VDPs assist the police in maintaining law and order, conducting patrols, and preventing crimes such as theft and burglary. Drugs also come under the ambit of their duties and functions, in which they will be adequately trained as part of this mission.
This decision was taken after a meeting led by Lyngdoh on May 28 this year as part of the initiatives of the DREAM.
DREAM has identified the need to build a robust and well-trained network of village defence parties (VDPs) equipped with necessary resources and tools to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
Composed of trusted local volunteers from within the communities, the plan is to revamp and reorganise them across the state, with a particular focus on identified drugs and substance use hotspots, including Shillong. Empowering VDPs with these capabilities is aimed at creating a vigilant and proactive community defense mechanism that not only maintains law and order, but will also actively contribute to a drug free state.
This initiative will involve comprehensive training on drug detection and prevention, ensuring regular coordination with police and existing health service nodal persons and fostering strong community engagement through social and behavioral change campaigns and awareness programs.
This decision was taken after a meeting led by Lyngdoh on Tuesday as part of DREAM.
The state’s success rate in combating the drug menace has risen to 20 per cent, largely due to the support and initiatives from traditional institutions and NGOs. (NNN)
