SHILLONG: In a significant escalation of its anti-drug efforts, the Meghalaya government has announced plans to construct a dedicated Narcotics Administrative Building at Ratacherra—a key transit hub linking the state with Assam and Manipur.
This move is part of a comprehensive anti-narcotics strategy that also includes the preventive detention of ten additional suspected drug traffickers under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act.
The new measures were unveiled by Paul Lyngdoh, Adviser to the Social Welfare Department, during the launch of the “Pulse of the Hills: Every Beat Against Drugs” campaign.
Organized under the Drug Reduction, Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM), the event featured Bollywood actor John Abraham and fitness influencer Dapalei Linna Warjri, who led a Zumba session to promote healthy lifestyles among youth.
Lyngdoh stressed that substance abuse is a global problem, not just a local one, and highlighted Meghalaya’s vulnerability due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle. He noted that the Social Welfare Department had launched three major programs under the DREAM mission in a single week to engage and educate young people against drug abuse.
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In addition to public outreach, the state is ramping up law enforcement operations.
Police are conducting raids in previously unmonitored areas, and legal proceedings are underway to detain key suspects under the PITNDPS Act.
The Social Welfare Department is finalizing a list of ten individuals for preventive detention to disrupt trafficking networks, with the process expected to be completed within two months. Detention terms for several previously held individuals have also been extended by a year.
To strengthen on-ground enforcement, Meghalaya is boosting its surveillance and physical infrastructure.
A specialized K9 unit is already operational, and talks are ongoing with the central ministry to procure high-tech scanner vehicles for use at transit points.
Once completed, the new Ratacherra facility will serve as a permanent checkpoint, securing critical entry routes and monitoring cross-border movement into the state.
(4FrontMedia news)
