Jammu: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday joined the ‘drug-free’ padyatra (foot march) in the border district of Poonch, marking the completion of the campaign’s outreach across all 20 districts of the Union Territory, an official press release informed.
Describing the initiative as a people’s movement against substance abuse and narco-terrorism, Sinha reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to freeing Jammu and Kashmir from the scourge of drugs and securing a brighter future for its youth.
“Padyatra has covered all 20 districts of Union Territory (today) and the objective is clear to free the soil of Jammu Kashmir from scourge of drugs and to eliminate narco-terrorism,” Sinha said while leading the campaign in the Poonch.
He said the fight for a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir intensifies from Poonch.
“For the next 43 days, every citizen, panchayat, and ward must unite to target drug smugglers, drug peddlers, drive awareness, and accelerate rehabilitation. Collective responsibility will build a healthier future,” he said.
During the past 57 days, the LG said he had visited every district of the Union Territory and promised the people that the perpetrators harming the society would not go unpunished.
“Today, I assure all the citizens that we will light the lamp of a brighter future. In the next 43 days we must launch a massive movement in Poonch and across UT that will be dedicated to making every panchayat, every lane, and every household in the district drug-free,” Sinha said.
He said the people of Poonch know that, being a border district, narco-terrorists attempt to exploit the geography.
“Cross-border drug smuggling is destroying young lives and, at the same time, financing terrorism. We must confront this through a whole-of-society approach,” he said.
The LG said that confronting the drug menace requires a shift from indifference to action.
He said the ‘not-my-problem’ mindset only emboldens drug smugglers and drug peddlers, who rely on public silence to expand their networks.
“True change happens when communities stand united. A drug-free society is built by those who choose to speak up and act, recognising that this is a shared battle affecting us all. A prosperous society requires both economic progress and vigilant citizens,” he said.
To change mindsets and dismantle supply chains, the LG said the past 57-day campaign has cracked down hard on the drug network across J&K.
“Over 1,130 smugglers arrested under 1,038 FIRs, 63 detained under PIT-NDPS, and more than 100 properties attached. To completely immobilise these criminals, we have also cancelled 700 driving licenses and moved to revoke 130 passports,” the LG said.
He called for the ‘Drug-Free J&K’ campaign to reach every household and become a permanent part of public consciousness.
True prevention, he emphasized, lies in giving youth a purpose through education, skills, sports, and transforming them into the ultimate weapon against drug addiction.
“The strategy relies on two powerful pillars. First, mobilize Youth Clubs to act as the frontline defence against local drug networks, and put women in leadership positions so mothers and sisters can drive the campaign to make every village drug-free,” the LG said.
Sinha announced that law enforcement agencies have been given a free hand to completely eradicate the narco-terror ecosystem.
Under a newly issued SOP, individuals involved in drug smuggling will face immediate, severe consequences and their passports, driving licenses, arms licenses, and Aadhar are being cancelled, while their movable and immovable assets are being attached under the NDPS Act.
“A drug-free Jammu and Kashmir will be born of this mass movement. J&K Police, law enforcement and narcotics agencies to ensure no drug smuggler or drug peddler operates within their jurisdiction.
“The road ahead is long, but we will not stop until every narco-terror network is dismantled. Our determination is unwavering, our unity invincible, and our mission is to win,” the LG said.
Sinha Visits ‘vibrant village’ Nangali in Poonch, says, no border villages will be left behind on development front
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said that India’s true identity thrives in its border villages and expressed commitment to ensuring that the residents of these areas receive the same development, prosperity and opportunities as those living in major cities.
Addressing a gathering during his visit to Nangali village in Poonch district under the Vibrant Village Programme, Sinha, according to an official press release, said border villages are the nation’s first glimpse and serve as proud gateways to the country.
“My resolve is unwavering. Our border villages deserve the exact same development and prosperity as our biggest towns and cities. I will not rest until every family on the border enjoys the same progress and opportunities as those in urban Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The LG asserted that the youth of border villages should have bright futures and equal opportunities, and that the world must view India’s border villages not as the last settlements but as the beginning of a great national dream.
Sinha said every family living in Poonch’s 133 border villages should experience the same pride, prosperity and hope enjoyed by residents of larger urban centres.
He said the administration would work tirelessly to transform these villages into symbols of development and prosperity.
Highlighting his vision for the region, Sinha said he wanted the youth of Nangali to dream as ambitiously as those in metropolitan cities and women in all 133 border villages to have access to the same opportunities available elsewhere.
“I want children across Poonch’s border villages to grow up believing their village is not a place to leave, but a place to build their future,” he said, adding that all these villages, including 18 strategic villages covered under Vibrant Village Phase-II, should emerge as centres of opportunity and growth.
The LG also reviewed ongoing development works and interacted with residents and government officials during the visit.
Referring to the developmental initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sinha said significant progress had been achieved in border areas over the past six years.
According to him, around 20 percent of families in Poonch’s border villages have moved above the poverty line during this period.
He said infrastructure development has resulted in 94 percent road connectivity, 98 percent telecom coverage and 100 percent healthcare coverage in these areas.
He further said that family incomes have increased by 25 percent while outmigration has declined by six percent, adding that the administration’s objective is to achieve saturation of all welfare schemes and ensure that no household is left behind.
