Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to making the state completely drug-free with the launch of the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’, a nationwide campaign aimed at mobilising youth against substance abuse.
The state-level programme was held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, where Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, and hundreds of students virtually participated in the national launch addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The campaign is being organised by MY Bharat under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Governor administered the pledge for a drug-free youth movement and urged young people to become the driving force behind building a drug-free society. He encouraged them to choose sports, fitness, yoga, values-based living, and social service over addiction.
Highlighting Odisha’s emergence as a leading sports destination, the Governor appealed to the youth to spend more time on playgrounds and in classrooms instead of falling prey to substance abuse. He said a drug-free society cannot be achieved by the government alone and called upon parents, teachers, social organisations, and young people to turn the campaign into a mass movement.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the campaign is not a one-day event but a sustained social movement that will continue for 100 weeks, or nearly two years.
He said the country’s Gen Z population and youth will play a key role in achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047. Describing drug addiction as not just a health issue but also a social and economic challenge, the Chief Minister said substance abuse weakens individuals physically and mentally, destroys families financially, and hampers the state’s development.
Majhi said the Odisha government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against illegal drug trade and narcotics syndicates. Sharing enforcement data, he said that between July 2024 and June 2026, Odisha Police destroyed illegal cannabis cultivation spread across 63,720 acres, with an estimated value of Rs 1,911 crore.
During the same period, police registered 2,576 cases, arrested 3,699 accused, and seized 432 tonnes of cannabis worth approximately Rs 2,106 crore, he said.
The Chief Minister added that the government is also strengthening de-addiction and rehabilitation centres to help people recover from substance abuse. He urged citizens to immediately inform police about any suspected drug-related activities in their localities.
Expressing concern over the growing use of brown sugar, cocaine, synthetic drugs, and injectable narcotics among young people, Majhi said the government is tackling the menace on a war footing. He referred to recent seizures of synthetic drugs in Bhubaneswar and action against drug mafias in Balasore.
Calling upon young people to take the “Say No to Drugs” pledge, Majhi urged educational institutions, youth organisations, NSS volunteers, MY Bharat volunteers, industries, NGOs, and the media to unite and make the campaign a people’s movement.