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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Feb. 13 (EMN): In a major boost to government’s ‘war on drugs’ campaign, Agape Museum, an apex body of 143 NGOs located in different hill districts of Manipur, have pledged to work as frontline workers in the destruction of poppy plantations in their respective areas.
Representatives of those NGOs met the chief minister, N Biren Singh, and expressed their full support to the government’s ongoing campaign. They have assured to extend cooperation to the government officials in the field and take part in the campaign as front liners to save the youth from drug menace.
In a memorandum to the chief minister, the apex body said, “We believe in your leadership, wisdom and understanding. We pray earnestly that God will really bless you and enable you to stop poppy plantations in Manipur hill area region by replacing it with horticulture crops like ginger, banana, stink bean, orange, lemon, pineapple, lemongrass, etc. We want to work together to begin in good work to change Manipur as never before”.
Interacting with them, Singh said that poppy growers are not his enemy but he wishes to save the future generation from drug abuse and trafficking.
Stating that the state government has formulated a plan to rehabilitate poppy growers by providing alternative livelihood, Singh asked the NGO representatives to identify suitable crops for farming in the areas where poppy is currently planted.
He has termed as a matter of great pleasure and satisfaction that people have come forward to extend support and cooperation to government’s activities. He also informed that the government would organise a grand meeting with the representatives of hill leaders to discuss the matter more extensively after the completion of the ongoing assembly session.
The NGO representatives also held a blessing prayer for the chief minister to succeed in the destruction of poppy plantations and the ‘war on drugs’ campaign.
On Monday, Singh handed over a cash reward of INR 10 lakh to Peh (Paoyi) village authority in Ukhrul for voluntarily destroying poppy plants grown in their village as part of the state government’s ‘war on drugs’ campaign.