Meghalaya: Minister Paul Lyngdoh Outlines Comprehensive Strategy to Combat Drug Menace

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh has stated that the number of drug users in Meghalaya is significantly lower than the previously estimated 3 lakh, and with the introduction of the DREAM Mission, this number is expected to decline further. “The figure that was furnished then was as per reports that were available at that point of time. These figures keep fluctuating, because if you recall, I also said that there is a 25 percent recovery rate, which means the rate keeps, the number keeps fluctuating. But now that we have the DREAM Mission, which is led by Retd IPS officer Francis Kharshiing, we certainly will be in a better position to collect data and information. Hopefully, it should go down because we will now hit at the supply chain more effectively,” Lyngdoh explained.

He emphasized that the recent inauguration of a dedicated ANTF police station is a significant step in strengthening the state’s ability to combat drug-related issues. “It will benefit the state immensely; it will strengthen our capacity to tackle the drug menace in the state of Meghalaya. Because now, for the first time, the ANTF has become a dedicated team. Dedicated in the sense that the entire focus of the ANTF now will be solely on tackling the drug menace, hitting at the supply chain, and also optimizing our efforts at both the entry and exit points of Meghalaya to effectively check the possibility of heroin and other narcotics entering the state,” he said.

The minister added that having a specialized team allows for a more concentrated effort. “When you have a dedicated team, it means that this team will not, as in the past, have other duties like law and order, attending to VIPs, or normal policing. With this team getting its own police station, the entire focus and attention will be solely on effectively tackling drugs,” Lyngdoh added.

When questioned about the effectiveness of border sealing in curbing the drug menace, Lyngdoh pointed out the complexity of the issue. “It’s a very multi-level, multi-layered problem, and there is not a single prescription that will provide the cure. There are several layers of the problems that we are aware of, and we will tackle this effectively. Most important is now we have a team that is totally and entirely focused on tackling the drug menace,” he said.

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