‘No fund crunch to set up drug treatment centre’

Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot on Monday assured the Meghalaya government of financial support to set up a drug treatment centre for women drugs addicts.

“There is no dearth of funds. Once you send the proposal on the treatment centre, we will take all necessary steps to ensure its establishment,” Gehlot said while responding to a plea made by the state Social Welfare minister Deborah Marak during the inauguration of the first Regional Workshop on Prevention of Substance Abuse in the Northeast region held here.

According to Marak, there was an urgent need for setting up of a treatment centre in view of the increasing number of women drug addicts in the state. Stating that there was no quality study on women drug addicts so far in the state, Marak said “There is an urgent need to provide drug treatment centres for women and setting up of corresponding support system for women drug addicts.” 

Highlighting on the steps taken by the state government on the issue, she said financial assistance to the NGOs working in the field of drug abuse was being provided to raise awareness and sensitisation on drug abuse and also specific intervention programmes for <g data-gr-id="21">high risk</g> groups in <g data-gr-id="22">high risk</g> areas. 

“Drop-in centres have been set up in Jowai and Khliehriat in the Jaintia Hills, a district identified as 

having high incidents of drug abuse,” Marak said informing that detoxification camps in Garo, Jaintia and East Khasi Hills have been organised for specific target groups.