Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, July 24
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday has issued a stern warning to the state government over its failure to curb rising drug abuse and its slow response to disaster recovery efforts, cautioning that the state risks turning into an “Udta Himachal” if decisive action is not taken soon. Speaking after attending the Central Government’s “Nasha Mukt Yuva Viksit Bharat” event in Varanasi, Shukla said he had shared details of Himachal’s anti-drug campaigns during the event but stressed that the situation on the ground required far more urgency and infrastructure. “Awareness has grown, but if the government does not act now, Himachal will become ‘Udta Himachal’ within five years,” he warned, referencing the 2016 Bollywood film Udta Punjab, which portrayed Punjab’s drug crisis.
The Governor criticised the state’s inability to set up even a single new de-addiction centre, calling the effort limited to rhetoric and delayed planning. “Right now, the only operational rehabilitation centre is the Red Cross unit in Kullu. Every district needs one. I have written to the government, but there’s been no movement,” Shukla said.
According to him, drug-related cases under the NDPS Act have surged by 340% over the last decade, rising from around 500 in 2012 to more than 2,200 in 2023. “The youth are the worst affected,” he added, calling for urgent state-wide interventions.
Shukla also criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s handling of disaster relief coordination with the Centre. “It’s not Jairam Thakur’s responsibility. It’s the Chief Minister who must place Himachal’s demands before the Union Government,” he said, adding that land for rehabilitation must be arranged by the state, not by New Delhi.
He questioned why the Chief Minister did not take Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur along when he met Home Minister Amit Shah, suggesting a more united approach could have benefitted the state’s case for central support. While a central assessment team is currently evaluating the damage from recent landslides and floods, Union Health Minister JP Nadda has also approached Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to expedite support for the hill state.
Shukla credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Drug-Free India” initiative as the catalyst for his de-addiction campaign, which he said had now reached villages across Himachal with support from NCC cadets, youth clubs, women’s groups and panchayats. “But awareness must now translate into action,” he said.
