Vimukti' programme in Alappuzha schools soon

ALAPPUZHA: Vimukti, the dormant anti-drug programme, will be revived and launched in  all schools in the district with the support of students police cadets (SPC).  This was stated by  district collector R. Girija  at a meeting of the officials concerned on Thursday. The decision comes in the wake of the report published by Deccan Chronicle on July 15 about the need to revive  the programme. 

According to the collector, the SPC will be used for  awareness campaigns and monitoring  the influence of drug pedlars in school surroundings. The support of excise department and local bodies will be ensured to strengthen their activities. Vimukti was launched in 2010 as part of the district administration's mission to make it a tobacco and drugs-free district.

It began with the cooperation of panchayats, municipalities, schools, teachers, student counsellors and school health officials. But it lost the  momentum due to  lack of coordination.According to the data,   2094 drug cases were  registered in the district in the last six months. Dr Nisha, district coordinator of Vimukti, said that  the decision to revive it came after she paid a visit to the collector on Wednesday.  The main task is to spread the programme to all schools in the district. It was  introduced  only in 190 schools out of a total of 700  in  the district,  she said.