Mumbai, September 2: In a significant move to secure the future of the state, the Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved a comprehensive policy aimed at completely eradicating drugs and synthetic substances by 2029.
With this initiative, Maharashtra becomes the first state in India to launch such a large-scale campaign under the central government’s National ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ (Drug-Free India Campaign), setting a new benchmark for state-level operations.
The newly approved policy adopts a collaborative approach across the entire government framework. It mandates improved coordination among all administrative levels, from grassroots village councils to district, division, and ministry levels. To ensure strict accountability, each government department will appoint a nodal officer of sub-secretary rank to coordinate directly with the Anti-Drug Task Force (ANTF).
A statement indicated that the policy will enforce stringent actions against the cultivation of illegal drug-producing crops, drug production, transportation, sales, and consumption of both natural and synthetic drugs. Additionally, a large-scale public awareness campaign will be launched. All departments must collaborate with the ANTF to ensure the campaign’s success, necessitating the appointment of a nodal officer from each department at the ministry level.
Action plans have been developed for various departments to implement this policy. Starting from the next academic year (2027), awareness about drugs will be included in the curriculum for grades 5 and above. Extra points will be awarded for anti-drug awareness in the ‘Chief Minister Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala’ Phase-3 initiative.
The Higher and Technical Education Department will be responsible for maintaining drug-free campuses in all educational institutions. Additional points will also be awarded in the ‘Chief Minister Samruddhi Panchayat Raj Abhiyan’ and ‘Majha Gaon, Arogya Sampanna Gaon Abhiyan’. Furthermore, awards will be announced annually on June 26 for the best drug-free districts, with evaluations conducted from October 2 to April 30 each year.
The policy outlines four main pillars for drug control: effective implementation, significant reduction in drug supply, effective decrease in drug demand, and addressing addiction, treatment, and rehabilitation. The responsibility for effective drug control implementation lies with the Home, Transport, Port, and Law and Justice Departments. The Revenue, Agriculture, and Forest Departments are tasked with preventing drug supply, while the Food and Drug Administration and Industry Departments will take action against artificially produced illegal drugs.
The responsibility for effectively reducing drug demand is assigned to the School Education Department, Higher and Technical Education, Sports Department, Rural Development, Public Health, Women and Child Development, Skill and Entrepreneurship, and Information and Public Relations Departments.
Finally, the responsibility for de-addiction, treatment, and rehabilitation falls under the purview of the Social Justice and Special Assistance, Public Health, Medical Education, Urban Development, and Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Departments.
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