Bandipora’s lone Drug Rehabilitation Centre turned into dispensary

Tahir Hussain

Bandipora, January 5: The lone Drug Rehabilitation centre (SOLACE) located in Kaloosa area of Bandipora district is non-functional from the day it was inaugurated in 2015 as the rehabilitation centre has been converted into a local dispensary by the health department of Bandipora. 

           The 'SOLACE Drug Rehabilitation Center consists of a Recreation room, Councilling room, Restroom, a  laboratory, Medical officers room and two bathrooms.

           Locals alleged that the concerned authorities never provided any staff and necessary equipment to make the centre functional, from the day it was inaugurated by the then minister Nayeem Akthar on 24 August 2015. "we worked hard for months together to convince the district administration to build a drug rehabilitation centre for local youth and finally the building was constructed but we don't know why this rehabilitation centre has been converted into a dispensary," said Tawheed Ahmad Sheikh, a social activist. 

            Mohammad Waseem had to travel to Jammu to stay with his relatives only to get admitted in a Drug Rehabilitation Centre so that he gets rid of the menace. “If the rehabilitation centre would have been functional here (Bandipora) I would not have suffered so much. There are hundreds of drug addicts in our area who want to get treated, but the local rehabilitation centre is not functioning,” he added.

          Surprisingly BMO Bandipora Dr. Syed-ur-Rehman seemed to be unaware about the change of Drug Addiction Centre into Dispensary and said that he is unaware about it. However, he said that the said building has now been handed over to local police by the Deputy Commissioner for developing a drug rehabilitation center.

          Reacting on the handing over of a rehabilitation center to police by the district administration, the locals said they are hopeful that the rehabilitation center will start functioning soon.  “The Superintendent of Police Sheikh Zulfikar Azad is known for his people-friendly initiatives and he too knows that there is need of a centre. We are hopeful that the staff and the proper men and Machinery is provided on priority taking into consideration the number of drug addicts and drug menace in the district”.

  While the Bandipora like other districts of the J&K has seen a rise in the number of drug abusers over the years, the non -functional rehabilitation centre is adding to the sufferings of the local residents especially to youth who need immediate treatment.

Bandipora           Among the most common drug abused in the valley and in Bandipora are medicinal opiates such as codeine phosphate, diazepam, alprazolam, alprazolam and cannabis derivatives like hashish and marijuana.