Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse on Tuesday visited Saitual district and held a meeting with heads of government departments and representatives of various sports associations, where concerns over drug trafficking and substance abuse in the border district were highlighted.
Saitual Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar Maurya, while presenting data on drug-related arrests over the past year, said the district had recorded a high number of drug-trafficking cases and seizures due to its location bordering other states and neighbouring Myanmar.
The issue of drug trafficking and substance abuse also figured prominently in the Union minister’s address. Khadse expressed concern over the impact of drug trafficking and drug abuse in Mizoram and called for greater involvement of young people in efforts to combat the problem.
Khadse urged young people to take an active role in the fight against drugs through the government’s Mera Yuva Bharat programme, saying greater youth participation could help protect young people from drug-related problems.
She also urged heads of government departments, who are local residents themselves, to take greater initiative in working for the welfare of the people and ensure that they derive maximum benefit from various Central government schemes.
Khadse said Mizoram has high production in organic farming and suggested that better food-processing facilities for locally grown vegetables and fruits could help farmers access markets in other states and countries and earn better returns.
The Union minister said her meeting earlier in the day with Mizoram Sports Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar had highlighted the need to improve sports infrastructure and identify and nurture sporting talent among children while they are still in school.
She further urged government officials to take review meetings seriously, noting that minutes of such meetings are regularly submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office. She also called for renewed efforts in data collection and proper preparation for official meetings.
During the meeting, Saitual Deputy Commissioner Srinivas Sadi gave an overview of the district and presented the activities and achievements of various government departments through a PowerPoint presentation.
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