Andhra Pradesh aims to be drug-free, says Rammohan Naidu

The Andhra Pradesh government is committed to making the State drug-free under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said on Saturday. He alleged that the previous government allowed Andhra Pradesh to become a hub for narcotics, which affected the future of many young people.

Mr. Naidu was speaking at Ichchapuram at the conclusion of the 53-day ‘Abhyudayam’ cycle rally organised by the Visakhapatnam Range police.

The Minister said the current government is focusing on eliminating ganja cultivation and equipping youth with skills and modern technology. He said young people, particularly in Srikakulam district, should aim to compete at a global level instead of depending on manual labour.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who also attended the event, expressed concern over incidents of students turning violent under the influence of ganja. She appealed to students and youth to stay away from drugs. She said the sustained anti-drug campaign had helped bring ganja prevalence in the State to near zero.

Referring to IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh’s padayatra, Ms. Anitha said a special department was proposed after witnessing the suffering of ganja victims during the outreach programme.

The ‘Abhyudayam’ rally covered 1,300 km across the Visakhapatnam police range and concluded at Ichchapuram. About 1.14 lakh students and 36,000 members of the public participated.

During the drive, the police seized assets worth Rs 9.13 crore and destroyed around 53,000 kg of ganja. Government Whip Bendalam Ashok urged people to share information without fear through the 1972 toll-free number.

Visakhapatnam Range Inspector General of Police Gopinath Jetti said combating narcotics requires active public participation. He added that the programme also focused on awareness about cyber crimes and road safety.