Srinagar, Aug 02: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said India’s greatest strength lies in its young population, with nearly 65% below the age of 35. He attended the launch of the “Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan” at a UT-Level function organised by the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports and SKUAST-Kashmir, virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a nationwide resolve to secure India’s future by empowering its youth and eliminating the menace of drugs.
Addressing the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor said, “The Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan seeks to energize this demographic, guiding them toward healthy lifestyles and active participation in development. Our youth must emerge like a cloud of energy and spread across the horizon of development.”
The LG highlighted significant achievements of the Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir campaign: around 2,300 FIRs registered, 2,600 people arrested, 1,500 kilograms of narcotics seized, and more than 331 properties worth around Rs 200 crore belonging to narco-terrorists and drug smugglers attached. Additionally, over 370 driving licenses and 750 vehicle registrations have been cancelled, with recommendations made to cancel nearly 3,000 Aadhaar cards.
He announced that the government will soon initiate the Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026, with a pilot project beginning in two most-affected districts—one from Kashmir and one from Jammu division. Designed as a three-year rehabilitation cycle, the scheme will focus on medical treatment, counselling, education, skill development, employment, reintegration, and long-term monitoring. “I see youth affected by drugs as victims and we need to ensure their dignity, livelihood, and a meaningful future,” the LG said.
Sinha urged families, teachers, and youth organizations to play a proactive role in guiding youth, and exhorted volunteers of MY Bharat, Nehru Yuva Kendras, and youth clubs to take the campaign’s message to every village, school, college, and community. “A healthy youth, a strong family, and an aware public will become the identity of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor administered the Nasha Mukt Yuva Pledge to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was attended by SKUAST Kashmir Vice Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Commissioner Secretary Youth Services and Sports Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg, MY Bharat J&K Director Nitin Hangloo, senior officials, members of Youth Clubs, Nehru Yuva Kendras, prominent citizens, and a large number of youth.
