Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday emphasised the need for a coordinated and humane rehabilitation framework that ensures sustained recovery, social inclusion and livelihood opportunities for individuals affected by drug abuse.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the proposed Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026, Sinha said that its pilot implementation should be initiated in two most affected districts to assess its effectiveness.
The scheme is aimed at establishing a comprehensive, convergence-based framework for rehabilitation and social reintegration of individuals recovering from substance use disorders across the Union Territory, an official press release said.
It said Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sarmad Hafeez, gave a detailed presentation highlighting the salient features of the proposed scheme.
The scheme envisages a structured three-year rehabilitation cycle. Phase 1, Treatment and Stabilisation, focuses on medical treatment, counselling and preparation of Individual Rehabilitation Plans (IRPs); Phase 2, Reintegration and Livelihood Activation, is aimed at facilitating education, skill development, employment and family reintegration; and Phase 3, Sustained Monitoring and Social Inclusion, provides continued follow-up, relapse prevention, community support and long-term social reintegration through coordinated interventions of multiple departments.
A dedicated Rehabilitation Monitoring Portal is being developed to facilitate digital case management, monitoring of individual rehabilitation plans, inter-departmental convergence and real-time tracking of rehabilitation outcomes while ensuring confidentiality of beneficiaries.
The scheme has been prepared by a task force constituted under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary, Home Department, pursuant to the directions of the Chief Secretary, with the Social Welfare Department as the nodal department.
The task force, comprising representatives of all key stakeholder departments, was mandated to formulate a comprehensive framework for rehabilitation and socio-economic reintegration of drug abuse victims through a coordinated inter-departmental approach.
The LG appreciated the comprehensive and collaborative approach adopted by the task force in formulating the scheme and directed the departments concerned to ensure effective inter-departmental coordination for the successful implementation of the scheme.
He underscored the importance of leveraging technology for transparent monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.
The pilot implementation of the scheme, he said, should be initiated in two most affected districts — one from the Kashmir division and one from the Jammu division — to assess its effectiveness and ensure a focused approach towards rehabilitation of drug abuse victims.
The pilot implementation should be closely monitored so that the learnings can be incorporated before scaling up the scheme across the Union Territory, he said.
Sinha directed that motivated and driven women volunteers and groups be identified, imparted appropriate training, and involved in counselling and rehabilitation efforts for the victims.
“Community participation is crucial for successful reintegration of victims into mainstream. Volunteers and interested government employees must be encouraged to actively participate in the rehabilitation process,” Sinha said, adding that training and capacity building programmes for the staff concerned must begin at the earliest to equip teams with the specialised skills and enhance the delivery of rehabilitation services.
