Social welfare minister Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said the number of drug addicts in the state is around 2.5 lakh, which is an alarming number.
Meghalaya is no longer a drug transit route as it has turned out to be a destination as efforts are on to check the increase in the number of drug addicts and the drug peddlers.
Talking to Mediapersons, “In a state with a population of 35 lakh, if 2.5 lakh are drug addicts, the situation is rather grim,” Lyngdoh said.
The Minister said that there is need to further strengthen the performance of the Anti-Narcortic Task Force (ANTF) at the main entry point to the Khasi-Jaintia Hills sector is the East Jaintia Hills district.
“We need to tone up its efficacy and also increase its manpower – that will happen once the current recruitment to the state police and home guards take place where we will be having more manpower and a few of them will be trained in anti-narcotic activities,” he said