Ramban, Jan 09: The government on Monday ordered the courier service centers of Ramban not to dispatch or deliver any consignment of medicine without informing the district’s Drug Control Department to prevent misuse by drug peddlers.
The courier service centers have been directed to inform the Drug Control Department of Ramban on WhatsApp number 9596231600 or e-mail [email protected] after which the consignment will be opened and checked and then allowed to dispatch and delivered to the concerned customer.
On Monday, the drug control officer Ramban Imtiyaz Ahmad on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mussarat Islam, conducted a surprise inspection of various courier centers to check misuse of their services for the sale of narcotics and psychotropic drugs in the district.
After inspecting the functioning of courier agencies, especially deliveries of drugs ordered from online sites by the people, the Drug Control Officer apprised the courier service providers about the abuse of their services by drug peddlers as it requires no verification and can easily be transported anywhere.
As per the drug control officer, courier service centers of the district were asked to give information on suspicious medicinal parcels to check drug trafficking to avoid the use of courier services for selling psychotropic drugs. The companies have been asked to monitor addresses which receive parcels. The courier service centers were asked to remain alert to check drug trafficking.
“In order to keep a strict vigil on the consignments containing medicines procured through online services and delivered through courier center, the District Administration has taken this issue seriously and decided to check and inspect all the courier services centers on regular basis to ensure the authenticity and genuineness of the consignments so as to avoid any kind of misuse of habit forming drugs,” he said.
Imtiyaz asked the courier agencies that it is their responsibility to contribute in the eradication of drug addiction from society. “So it is necessary that courier services operators should keep a proper vigil on every consignment and parcel containing medicines or any parcel found suspicious,” he said.
Drug de-addiction centre to come up in Ramban
A drug de-addiction centre will be set up in the Dalwas area of Batote in Ramban district which will be established and mobilized by the stakeholder departments in coordination with the district administration.
This was decided in a meeting of the District “Nasha Mukt Abhiyan J&K’ Committee and District Management Team, DDRC on Monday which was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mussarat Islam to discuss modalities for the establishment of the District Drug De-Addiction Centre besides assessing the progress of DDRC.
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Harbans Lal Sharma, CMO, Kamal Zadoo, CEO, Devanand, DySP, Waqar Bhat, MS, DH Ramban, Dr Mehboob Khan, DSWO, Rahul Gupta, CDPO, Ravinder Kour, the principals of GDC Banihal and Ukhral besides other concerned attended the meeting. After a threadbare discussion, it was decided to establish a drug de-addiction centre at the proposed accommodation in the Dalwas area of Medical Block, Batote.
The DC also reviewed the progress of the District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) in the district hospital and passed necessary directions to provide hassle-free service to needy people.
Meanwhile, the Medical Superintendent informed that regular Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are being carried out at the block level to promote Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan in letter and spirit.
He informed that the Health Department in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department has mobilized the drug addicts for registration in the district drug de-addiction centre. Earlier, the DSWO informed the meeting about the guidelines issued by the government regarding the establishment of a drug de-addiction centre in the district to provide treatment and counselling to drug addicts.
