Campaign aims to steer youth away from substance abuse
Students hold placards during the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' event on Friday.
PANAJI
Declaring that Goa will not be allowed to become a haven for drugs, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday launched the nationwide ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', pledging an intensified crackdown on peddlers and a sustained push to steer youth away from substance abuse.
At the awareness campaign inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar and State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, Sawant raised the slogan “Nasha Mukt Bharat, Khushhaal Bharat”, asserting that the national mission aims to build a drug-free society and safeguard the country’s youth.
“This campaign has been launched nationwide to make India drug-free by 2047, in line with the vision of a Viksit Bharat. In Goa, we are working towards achieving a Viksit Goa by 2037, and as part of that commitment, we have now rolled out this campaign in the State,” the CM said.
He further stated that the government would intensify awareness efforts across Goa while continuing strict enforcement measures. “We will seize drugs wherever they are found in Goa. A sustained crackdown on drug peddlers and dealers is underway, and arrests are being made regularly,” he said, stressing that protecting the younger generation remains the government’s top priority.
“We stand united in our pledge to say no to drugs, keep our communities safe, support those seeking recovery, and guide our youth towards sports, education and opportunity. Nobody should be under the impression that Goa is a safe haven for drugs. We will continue our crackdown on the menace.”
