High prevalence of drugs: Meghalaya govt holds meet with MLAs, MDCs and Dorbar Shnongs

Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh presided over the meeting which was also attended by Meghalaya DGP Isashisha Nongrang, North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum , South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai and

Highly concerned over the prevalence of drugs and other cases such as smuggling of narcotics in Meghalaya, the state government is presently engaged in efforts to eliminate the menace. To achieve the most desirable results, the Meghalaya Government has decided to take on board the civil society.

To take things forward, the Meghalaya Government today held a consultative meeting with MLAs, MDCs and Dorbar Shnongs of the Greater Shillong area for discussing the future course of action to address the issue of substance abuse in the state.

Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh presided over the meeting which was also attended by Meghalaya DGP Isashisha Nongrang, North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum , South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai and Mawlai legislator Brightstarwell Marbaniang besides others.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Meghalaya Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh called for greater participation of the civil society in wiping out the menace. However, he pointed out that there is a lack of adequate number of Village Defence Party (VDP)s to check the issue.

“With the convergence mode that we have adopted, we would like to ensure that all stakeholders are involved, everyone is taken on board and we should be in a position to effectively combat this menace on a war footing. At this point of time, we need to restructure and reorganize the VDPs. As he have heard that the number of registered VDPs in Shillong is just 11, in a city which has a population over 5 lakh. The fact that the VDPs who were effective tools and weapons with which the civil society had used in the past in combating crimes and other social evils, today, the thinking in the government is that we need to revive, reorganize, rejuvenate participation of civil society, so that we would be in a position to overcome this menace,” Paul Lyngdoh said.

“Today we see this as an oppurtunity for the civil society to come together, fight and take on this menace. We would like us to be transformers of change and transformers of positivity,” Lyngdoh further said.

The consultative meeting was held as part of the DREAM (Drug Reduction, Elimination & Action Mission) programme launched in 2023 to fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the state.

Infact, it may be mentioned that the state is more sensitive due to the porous border with Bangladesh besides sharing a long boundary with neighbouring Assam, the headmen during the meeting mentioned about the need to Stop incoming of drugs through East Jaintia Hills border.

Worth mentioning, the state is more susceptible to drug menace owing to its proximity to the ‘Golden Triangle’ in Southeast Asia.

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