Shimla: The spokesperson of Himachal Pradesh Police today here informed that a special statewide Search Drive was conducted on Friday near educational institutions across the state as part of the ongoing “Chitta-Free Himachal” anti-drug campaign, launched by the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
He informed that the purpose of this coordinated drive was to further strengthen the objectives of the campaign by ensuring strict compliance with the provisions of the NDPS Act and the COTPA Act, particularly in areas surrounding schools and colleges. The operation focused on checking shops and vendors located near educational institutions to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products and other prohibited items that may negatively influence young people.
During the state-level operation, a total of 1,949 identified shops and vendors situated near educational institutions across the state were thoroughly inspected. The search was carried out by joint teams of the District Police and the Special Task Force (STF) as part of a coordinated enforcement effort.
He further informed that as a result of the drive, five cases were registered under the COTPA Act and one case under the Excise Act. In addition, 567 challans were issued under the COTPA Act and four challans under the Non-Biodegradable Waste (Control) Act. A total fine of Rs. 65,300 was collected under the COTPA Act during the operation. During the search, a significant quantity of prohibited tobacco products, including cigarettes, tobacco and bidis, was also seized.
The spokesperson further informed that this statewide anti-drug initiative was conducted in a systematic and intelligence-based manner with strong inter-district coordination to ensure lawful, safe and effective enforcement. The key objective of the campaign is to protect young people from falling into drug abuse and to prevent the development of group-based substance abuse activities around isolated areas near educational institutions, which often attract and influence new users.
Himachal Pradesh Police has once again appealed to citizens, especially the youth, to immediately report any information related to drugs or “chitta” by calling 112 or informing the nearest police station. The identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential.
