Jammu, Feb 13 : Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Saturday said that drug abuse was a bigger challenge than militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was speaking at a function organized on laying of foundation stone of Police Drug-de-addiction by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Channi Himmat, Jammu.

The DGP in his welcome address thanked the Lt. Governor J&K, other dignitaries and media fraternity for gracing the event. He thanked Lt. Governor with whose support the drug de-addiction facility Jammu is being created at a bigger scale. He also thanked district administration for providing land for the centre. He said that on the directions of Lt. Governor J&K, this facility has been included in Jammu Smart City project and its funds have been provided by Jammu Smart City Limited.

“It is a very happy occasion for all of us as much needed facility is being created here,” he said as per statement sent by police

He said that drug abuse is a bigger challenge than militancy in J&K “as it not only provides oxygen to the (militancy) by means of funding (militant) networks but also targets our younger generation.”

He said that militancy targets civilians and security forces individually but the drugs target the society as a whole and takes people particularly youth on the path of destruction. Singh said Jammu and Kashmir Police is putting massive efforts against drug trade and has seized huge quantity of drugs and huge amount of narco trade-cash. He said that the menace has increased during past few years and JK Police besides its intensified war on drugs is putting best of the efforts to aware the people about the magnitude of the problem to fight the menace collectively.

The DGP said that 10 Police Drug de-addictions centers including two major centers one each in Jammu and Srinagar are being run by J&K Police to curb the alarming rise of drug addiction.

He said that a well equipped drug de-addiction centre has been constructed in Srinagar recently and is functional at present. He informed that more than 6000 affected persons are being treated at police drug de-addiction centers during a year.

“We have qualified doctors, counsellors and staff posted at these centre,” the DGP added.

“We are shouldering this responsibility under JKP’s Civic Action Programme and now with assistance from the local administration and the civil society we would be able fight the menace more effectively and help the affected population.”