Assembly Speaker calls upon students to make future safe and drug-free

Anakapalli: Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu has called upon students, parents and every section of society to shoulder the responsibility of eliminating the ganja menace and safeguarding the future of the younger generation.

Addressing the ‘Sankalpa 2.0’ anti-drug awareness programme organised by the Anakapalli district police to promote a drug-free society, the Assembly Speaker urged the youth to stay away from narcotics and focus on building successful and meaningful lives. He stressed that the fight against drugs could only succeed through collective public-police participation and underlined the need to strengthen efforts to eradicate ganja cultivation, trafficking and consumption.

Speaking on the occasion, film actor Brahmaji appealed to young people to remain committed to their aspirations and not allow addictions to shatter their future and their parents’ dreams. He lauded the Anakapalli district police for launching the ‘Sankalpa 2.0’ initiative and urged every citizen to extend their support to the campaign against drugs. District Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha said that sustained enforcement and coordinated action over the past few years had resulted in curbing illegal ganja cultivation and trafficking by more than 90 per cent.

The SP informed that the police were effectively preventing illegal transportation through an extensive network of check posts, surveillance cameras, drones and sniffer dogs. Emphasising that community participation is the key to completely eliminating drug abuse, the SP said students, teachers and the public must actively cooperate with the police in building a drug-free society. He also assured that individuals addicted to drugs would not be treated as criminals but would instead receive treatment and rehabilitation through de-addiction centres.

Narsipatnam Deputy Superintendent of Police Pothireddy Srinivasa Rao appealed to citizens to use the emergency helpline 112 for public safety and 1972 to report information related to ganja cultivation or trafficking. He assured that the identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential and reiterated that protecting the public remains the foremost priority of the police department.

The awareness programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from more than 1,500 students, teachers, women and members of the public representing various schools and colleges across the district. Cultural performances and thought-provoking skits presented by students, highlighting the harmful effects of drug abuse, received an encouraging response from the audience.

ZPTC member S Ramanamma, Jana Sena Party leader Suryachandra, Circle Inspectors Gafoor, Revathamma, Murali, Rama Krishna, Satish and Ramesh, EAGLE Inspectors Devullu and Nagaraju, along with police personnel and other officials were present.