CS pushes for robust tracking for lifelong rehabilitation of victims

JAMMU : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting of senior officers to deliberate upon and give shape to a robust mechanism for rehabilitation and reintegration of drug abuse victims across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Home; Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD); Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department; Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department; Secretary, Health & Medical Education (H&ME); Secretary, Skill Development Department (SDD) and Labour & Employment (L&E); Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD); Director General, Budget; Director, Information; Managing Director, JKRLM; Director Colleges and other concerned officers.
While reviewing the framework, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for systematic tracking of every registered drug abuse victim who comes forward for treatment to ensure sustained handholding, rehabilitation and social reintegration. He emphasized that such individuals should be monitored for several years post-treatment and provided opportunities in livelihood generation, skill development, self-employment or education based on individual rehabilitation needs.
Highlighting the importance of institutional support, the Chief Secretary called for dovetailing resources and manpower of multiple departments to ensure comprehensive support to individuals at every stage of recovery. He observed that while family and societal support remains crucial, long-term reintegration into mainstream society largely depends on strong institutional mechanisms.
The Chief Secretary noted that motivating victims to undergo treatment is only the first step and must be complemented by regular follow-up, counselling and livelihood support to prevent relapse. He underscored the need for an end-to-end mechanism covering awareness generation through IEC campaigns, treatment, counselling, rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation engagement of affected youth.
To ensure accountability and effectiveness, he directed the creation of a district-level monitoring framework under senior officers, supported by dedicated teams to identify gaps and ensure lifetime rehabilitation outcomes. He further instructed development of an integrated online platform with clearly defined departmental roles and unique identification for each beneficiary to enable real-time tracking and case management.
During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sarmad Hafeez, made a detailed presentation outlining the proposed inter-departmental coordination mechanism and post-rehabilitation framework. He informed that under the ongoing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, a dedicated Task Force has been constituted under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Home Department, with the mandate to plan, coordinate and monitor rehabilitation and reintegration interventions across departments.
The meeting was informed that the Task Force will focus on multi-departmental coordination, standardized screening and referral mechanisms, availability of trained psychiatrists in hospitals, strengthening law enforcement for supply reduction and enhancement of rehabilitation processes.
It was further highlighted that the rehabilitation framework envisages standardized rehabilitation protocols and counselling units across J&K. The importance of integrating skill development programmes, livelihood support, start-up credit linkages, self-employment assistance and private sector partnerships was also emphasized to ensure sustainable recovery of rehabilitated individuals.
The meeting also underscored the need for school-based preventive programmes, community engagement initiatives, post-care monitoring systems and strengthening of infrastructure and capacity building. The roles and responsibilities of departments including School Education, Higher Education, Rural Development, Skill Development, Labour & Employment, Health, Home and Social Welfare were clearly delineated to achieve the long-term objective of a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the Chief Secretary stressed that addressing drug abuse requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to safeguard the future of youth and build a healthier society.