Srinagar, Jul 14 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday reviewed the proposed Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026 and directed the administration to launch its pilot implementation in one district each of the Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
Chairing a high-level meeting here, Sinha said the scheme should provide a coordinated, humane and outcome-oriented framework to ensure sustained recovery, social inclusion and livelihood opportunities for individuals recovering from substance abuse.
According to officials, the proposed scheme envisages a structured three-year rehabilitation cycle comprising treatment and stabilisation, reintegration and livelihood support, and sustained monitoring with community-based interventions to prevent relapse.
The lieutenant governor directed that the pilot project be implemented in the two worst-affected districts to assess its effectiveness before expanding it across the Union Territory.
He also stressed the need for effective inter-departmental coordination, community participation, family support, skill development and continuous monitoring for the success of the rehabilitation programme.
Sinha asked the departments concerned to identify committed officers and trained women volunteers to support counselling and rehabilitation efforts, while directing that capacity-building programmes for staff be started at the earliest.
Officials informed the meeting that a dedicated Rehabilitation Monitoring Portal is being developed for digital case management, monitoring of individual rehabilitation plans and real-time tracking of rehabilitation outcomes while ensuring confidentiality of beneficiaries.
The proposed scheme has been prepared by a task force headed by the Principal Secretary, Home Department, with the Social Welfare Department serving as the nodal agency. It aims to establish a comprehensive framework for the rehabilitation and socio-economic reintegration of drug abuse victims through coordinated action by multiple departments.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and other senior officials attended the meeting.—(NVI)
