Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 8
Notwithstanding the claims of the state government to make Himachal a drug-free state, the condition of the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA) tells a different story.
The centres, established in Kullu (women), Dharamsala, Chamba, Mandi, Sirmaur, Bilaspur and Solan are yet to be operational. These have received the first grant. The IRCA in Shimla is facing closure due to the lack of financial support.
Not paid salary, staff forced to leave
Staff members were forced to leave due to the non-payment of salaries for the past one year
The centre, located in a rented building, is unable to pay rent, electricity, water, telephone and internet charges
It has become difficult to provide medicines and food to inmates
Even the OPD and IPD facilities have been discontinued
The 15-bed centre, started in Shimla in 2019, has not received grants (over Rs 54 lakh) from the Centre during the past two years and it is not in a position to add new patients. The occupancy is only three. The staff have been forced to leave due to non-payment of salaries for one year and the centre, located in a rented building, is unable to pay rent, electricity, water, telephone and internet charges, said sources at the centre, adding that it had become difficult to provide medicines and food to the inmates. Even the OPD and IPD facilities had been discontinued.
The centre had shared its concerns with the higher authorities but no concrete step has been taken.
Meanwhile, the consumption of opium has risen from 0.2 per cent in 2001 to 1.14 per cent in 2020 and chitta (heroin) addiction has surpassed cannabis (charas) and other hard drug addiction. As per a survey, 34.61 per cent of addicts consume 'chitta'.
As many as 929, 1,010, 1,342 and 1,423 cases were registered in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. A total of 2,126 cases have been registered from January 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021.
There are four functional IRCAs in the state in Shimla, Kullu, Una and Hamirpur with a total capacity of 60 beds. The other three are running in full capacity but these are also facing financial constraints. Director, Social Justice and Empowerment, Vivek Bhatia said, "The role of the department is confined to regulation and monitoring and we are pushing the NGOs to start operations and work effectively in the seven IRCAs," he said.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service