Amit Shah sets 2028 deadline for drug-free Gujarat, 2029 for India
The Union Home Minister launched an anti-drug campaign in Ahmedabad and announced a dedicated toll-free helpline for reporting narcotics sales.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday set a target of December 31, 2028, to make Gujarat drug-free and December 31, 2029, to achieve the same for India. Speaking in Ahmedabad, Shah stated that the fight against narcotics requires the active involvement of the public alongside government efforts.
According to reports from Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India and The Hindu, Shah noted that drug abuse harms the youth and that money from the drug trade is used to fund terrorism. He mentioned that while the country has been made free from Naxalism, the government must now focus on narcotics.
To assist the campaign, a dedicated toll-free helpline, 1033, will become operational in Gujarat from December 1. Shah assured citizens that their identities would remain confidential when reporting drug sales and said a mechanism is in place to ensure complaints are acted upon within three hours.
The Home Minister also urged teachers and guardians to stay vigilant regarding changes in the behaviour of students and children. He added that rehabilitation centres would be established to assist those recovering from addiction.
The announcements followed the launch of various development projects in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth between Rs 1,024 crore and Rs 1,400 crore, including an elevated corridor connecting Sarkhej and Iskcon.