Bhubaneswar: As a ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva – Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ was launched on Sunday, the Odisha government resolved to make the state drug-free in a time-bound manner.
The campaign was organised as part of the MY Bharat initiative of the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The national program was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Odisha Governor Haribabu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Minister Surjyabanshi Suraj, joined virtually at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the Odisha government has taken a firm resolve to make the state drug-free by spreading the newly launched ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva – Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ as a comprehensive social movement for the next 100 weeks.
“This campaign is not a one-day event, but a continuous mass movement that will continue for two years,” Majhi said while addressing youth at Kalinga Stadium.
Over one crore youth across 10,000 locations nationwide took the pledge for a drug free India. Governor Kambhampati administered the oath, urging the youth to replace addiction with sports, fitness, yoga, and social service.
The Governor emphasised that true change requires collective participation from parents, teachers, institutions, and youth themselves to transform the campaign into a mass movement.
Announcing that the initiative will continue for 100 weeks, the Chief Minister said it will evolve into a sustained people’s movement. He praised the Prime Minister’s vision for a developed India by 2047, calling the youth the “architects of a new India.”
Reaffirming the government’s Zero Tolerance policy against narcotics, the Chief Minister said between July 2024 and June 2026, Odisha Police destroyed 63,720 acres of illegal cannabis cultivation worth Rs 1,911 crore, registered 2,576 cases, arrested 3,699 accused, and seized 432 tons of ganja valued at Rs 2,106 crore. He warned drug mafias to reform or face bulldozer style action, urging citizens to report suspicious activities immediately.
Majhi also highlighted the strengthening of rehabilitation and treatment centres for addicts and appealed to all youth to take the “Say No to Drugs” pledge.
Minister Surjyabanshi Suraj underscored the role of schools, colleges, MY Bharat clubs, NSS units, and sports hostels in driving the campaign. The event received an overwhelming response across 453 centres in Odisha, with over 1.6 lakh participants joining the live broadcast.