Manoj Sinha reviews new policy to boost drug deaddiction and livelihood tracking in Jammu and Kashmir
SRINAGAR, JULY 14 — Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting today to review the proposed Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026. The new policy aims to establish a comprehensive, convergence-based framework for the rehabilitation and social reintegration of individuals recovering from substance use disorders across the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary of the Home Department Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Mandeep K Bhandari, Commissioner Secretary of the Social Welfare Department Sarmad Hafeez, and other senior officers.The newly drafted scheme outlines a structured three-year rehabilitation cycle divided into three distinct phases. The initial phase focuses on medical treatment, counseling, and preparing individual rehabilitation plans.
The second phase aims at facilitating education, skill development, employment, and family reintegration. The final phase provides sustained monitoring, relapse prevention, community support, and long-term social inclusion. To support this framework, a dedicated Rehabilitation Monitoring Portal is being developed to manage digital cases, track individual progress across multiple departments, and monitor outcomes in real time while maintaining strict patient confidentiality.
A specialized task force under the chairmanship of the Home Department’s Principal Secretary created the framework, with the Social Welfare Department operating as the nodal agency. Sinha commended the collaborative approach of the task force, highlighting that community participation, family support, skill development, and continuous monitoring must remain the cornerstones of the recovery process.
He directed all participating departments to maintain tight inter-departmental coordination to ensure successful implementation and emphasized the importance of using technology for transparent, evidence-based decisions.To evaluate the effectiveness of the program before expanding it across the entire Union Territory, a pilot version will launch in two of the most affected districts, selecting one from the Kashmir Division and one from the Jammu Division.
Sinha instructed officials to identify dedicated officers and motivated women volunteer groups to undergo specialized training for counseling and rehabilitation efforts. He concluded by noting that public participation is vital for helping victims reintegrate into mainstream society, urging interested government employees and community volunteers to join the upcoming capacity-building programs.