Bhubaneswar: The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking-2019 was observed at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) here with the support of Excise Department.
More than 500 students and youth leaders participated in the event, addressed by Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister Ashok Chandra Panda and Bhubaneswar MLA (Central) Ananta Narayan Jena and Excise Commissioner-Cum-Secretary Sushil Kumar Lohani.
The participants also organised a rally which started from BMC office premises and continued up to Master Canteen Square, via Kalpana and Rajmahal Squares. The participants included NCC cadets, cadets from Bharat Scouts and Guides Bhubaneswar, NSS volunteers, youth leaders of Biju Yuba Bahini and students from BJB Autonomous College.
Speaking on the occasion the Minister said it is the duty of all the stakeholders to be vigilant and keep a watch on the society to stop drug use and illicit trafficking of drugs.
Bhubaneswar MLA (Central) and former BMC Mayor Jena said efforts should be made at every level to rescue people from the clutches of drugs.
The Excise Commissioner-Cum-Secretary Lohani said that the day was observed globally as well as locally to make all the society accountable and aware about the ill effects of the addictive substances as once someone becomes a prey, he/she remains in its control throughout. In order to break ourselves from the addictive tentacles of drugs we need to be aware and make others aware.’
Among the other participants BMC Additional Commissioner Surath Chandra Mallick, Chief Finance Officer Labanya Sabara, Deputy Commissioner PR and Communication Srimanta Mishra and Deputy Commissioners SS Sethi, Sanghamitra Behera, Zonal Deputy Commissioners Pramod Kumar Prusty and Rupak Kumar Patnaik were present.
The theme of the initiative for the current year is “Health for justice, justice for health.”
