Khowai district was felicitated by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for its successful implementation of the Joint Action Plan on “Prevention of Drugs and Substance Abuse among children and Illicit trafficking”.
The award ceremony was held on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 30th. Nityananda Rai, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, presented the award to Chandni Chandran, the District Magistrate of Khowai.
The ceremony included prominent figures like NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanungo, Member Secretary Rupali Banerjee Singh, and Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau Satya Narayan Pradhan.
Khowai’s success stemmed from its effective execution of various measures, including installing CCTV cameras in key medical stores, promoting Prabhari club activities in schools, and strictly enforcing the COTPA Act (Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act).
Furthermore, an innovative scheme named CHESTA (Child marriage Elimination through Sensitisation, Tracking and Awareness) launched in November 2022 by Chief Minister Manik Saha, proved to be a major factor.
The project was appreciated for its coverage of both school going and out of school girls, involvement of all stakeholders and incentives for informants.
This program tackles child marriage, a significant source of human trafficking in Tripura.
CHESTA’s success lies in its comprehensive approach, encompassing both in-school and out-of-school girls, involving all relevant parties, and offering incentives for those who report child marriages.
The police department’s efforts also played a crucial role, with drug seizures doubling in the past year. These combined initiatives have positioned Khowai as a leader in the fight against child drug abuse and trafficking.
(Tripura, Tripura News)
