Cabinet rolls out Mission SURAKSHA to tackle growing drug menace in Arunachal Pradesh
Mission-mode initiative to unify prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and enforcement through a whole-of-government and community approach.
ITANAGAR- In a significant move to strengthen the state’s response to substance abuse, the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved the launch of Mission SURAKSHA (State Unified Response Against Drugs, Substance Harm & Addiction), a mission-mode initiative aimed at integrating prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and enforcement under a unified governance framework.
The initiative was approved during the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu. According to the Cabinet, Mission SURAKSHA has been designed to address the growing complexity of substance abuse and its impact on youth, mental health, HIV, family welfare and community safety through a coordinated multi-sectoral approach.
The government said the mission builds upon the state’s existing investments in substance abuse prevention and treatment, including opioid substitution therapy, anti-retroviral therapy (ART), de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, community-based recovery initiatives and inter-departmental coordination mechanisms.
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Mission SURAKSHA will be anchored on three key pillars—Demand Reduction, Harm Reduction and Supply Reduction—with the objective of creating a comprehensive response that combines healthcare interventions with law enforcement and community participation.
As part of the initiative, the Cabinet approved the establishment of coordinated implementation mechanisms, including district-level task forces, SATARK mechanisms, Sankalp community reporting systems, and rapid response or flying squads to improve prevention, treatment access, recovery support and coordinated action against substance abuse.
The mission will also include awareness and prevention programmes, youth engagement initiatives, integrated recovery and after-care support systems, community-based vigilance platforms, and strengthened district-level enforcement measures to address drug-related challenges across the state.
According to the Cabinet, Mission SURAKSHA adopts a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach, bringing together government departments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations, community-based organisations (CBOs), panchayats and municipal bodies to support prevention, rehabilitation and enforcement efforts. The mission aims to create a healthier, safer and drug-free Arunachal Pradesh.
Substance abuse has emerged as a growing public health and social concern in several parts of the Northeast, affecting families, communities and young people. While Arunachal Pradesh has implemented a number of treatment and rehabilitation initiatives in recent years, Mission SURAKSHA seeks to provide an integrated institutional framework by combining healthcare services, social support, community participation and law enforcement under a single mission.
The success of the initiative will depend on effective coordination among implementing agencies, sustained community participation, adequate rehabilitation infrastructure and continuous awareness programmes aimed at preventing substance abuse, particularly among the youth.
