ITANAGAR, May 13 - Taking a serious note of the issue of �rampant� opium cultivation in some pockets of the hilly State and �increasing� number of opium addicts, Arunachal Governor JP Rajkhowa has suggested that the State Government should come up with a �concrete and comprehensive� anti-opium policy to tackle the drug menace.
He advised Tax & Excise Commissioner Dr BM Mishra, who during his previous stint as DC of Lohit district has done a commendable job towards opium eradiation in the district, to come up with a comprehensive proposal in this regard.
The Governor�s recommendation came when a two-member delegation of Upper Siang district chapter of Arunachal Pradesh Women�s Welfare Society (APWWS), including its president Mekem Nopi and member Dr Gepeng Litin, called on him at Raj Bhavan here today and apprised him of �alarming� drug situation in the district with rampant poppy cultivation and rising opium addiction thereby posing a serious threat to the society.
The Governor further suggested that drug awareness should be introduced in the school curriculum �to educate the young people on dangers of opium�.
The Governor exhorted the NGO to continue their crusade and wished that others would emulate their good works towards achieving a drug-free society.
Earlier, the women representatives apprised the Governor about their organisation�s activities including anti-opium campaign in various villages of the district. They informed that they have been doing all these interventions on their own without any financial assistance from the State Government or any other agency, and requested the Governor for monetary help.
