Shimla, December 16: After Shimla and Dharamshala, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday led an anti-chitta awareness walkathon in Hamirpur, signalling a statewide push against the synthetic drug menace.
The walkathon began from Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Hamirpur, and culminated at Police Lines Dosadka Ground.
Before the start, the Chief Minister administered an oath, with students, officials, public representatives and citizens pledging to wipe out chitta and other narcotics from Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, Sukhu said the state was fighting a decisive battle against chitta, which he described as a “termite eating away at the future of the youth”.
He asserted that traffickers, suppliers and those shielding them were under the police radar and would be dealt with strictly. “The government is in action mode. Either reform or face the consequences,” he said.
Highlighting recent enforcement measures, the Chief Minister said police conducted simultaneous raids at 121 locations across the state on November 22.
This was followed by intensive checking in 51 educational institutions and around 598 shops and markets near colleges, leading to 12 NDPS cases and 385 challans. On December 7, 16 notorious traffickers were arrested simultaneously under the PIT-NDPS Act.
So far, 63 traffickers have been arrested, 1,214 suspects identified and 950 illegal properties marked for action.
Assets worth over ₹50 crore have been seized under the NDPS Act, compared to ₹13 crore during the previous government’s three-year tenure.
Sukhu said the campaign was not limited to policing but aimed at building a people’s movement.
He announced expansion of de-addiction centres and the setting up of a dedicated Drug De-addiction, Prevention and Rehabilitation Board. Youths trapped in addiction, he said, were being rehabilitated and brought back into the mainstream.
To strengthen grassroots action, meetings of Drug De-addiction Committees were held in December in 234 of the most drug-affected panchayats and urban local bodies.
The Chief Minister also announced rewards ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹10 lakh for informers providing credible information on chitta suppliers, assuring complete confidentiality and protection.
During the walkathon, Sukhu interacted with students, warning them about the health and social dangers of drug abuse, and urged them to spread awareness. Placards, slogans and cultural programmes by the Police Department reinforced the message.
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Political Advisor Sunil Sharma Bittu, MLAs Suresh Kumar and Captain Ranjit Singh, APMC Chairman Ajay Sharma, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, DGP Ashok Tiwari and senior officers, along with public representatives and citizens, were present.
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