AIZAWL: Mizoram governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati on Tuesday said the state government is much concerned with the danger of drug trafficking and drugs abuse.
Delivering his customary address on the opening day of the budget session, Kambhampati said the state government is making all-out efforts to curb the menace of drug trafficking and its abuse.
At least 2,112 people were arrested and 2,326 cases were registered under Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, 2019 and Mizoram Excise Act during the current financial year, he said.
He said that the state police also seized large quantities of drugs and narcotic substances worth Rs 51.83 crore during the same fiscal.
The governor said that the state government is committed to providing efficient, responsive, accountable, fair and just administration at all levels of governance.
“Maintaining peace and tranquility, securing the safety of the citizens and affecting progress and development in all fields have always been among top priorities of my Government,” he said.
He lauded law enforcement agencies, civil societies, religious institutions, media and the general public for their contribution towards establishing peace in the state.
According to the governor, the state government has undertaken construction of various buildings and barracks on the Mizoram-Assam border at a project cost of Rs. 82.99 lakh and works are on the verge of completion.
He said that 61,850 rural households in 209 villages have been provided with functional household tap connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission till December last year.
According to the governor, Mizoram envisages a Tuberculosis (TB) free state by 2025 in alignment with the targets and goals of the Central TB Division of the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
He said that the government laid emphasis on health infrastructure development to provide better healthcare services to the people and several projects are now being undertaken.
During the current financial year, the Centre released Rs 358.96 crore as assistance under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) scheme.
As many as 18,722 works were taken up under the Central scheme, of which, 15,159 have been completed during the same fiscal, the governor said.
He said that the state government also made massive efforts to increase agricultural production and exploit the huge potential of the horticulture sector.
Among other projects, a total of 26,730 hectares of land has been developed for oil palm cultivation in seven districts involving 10,843 farmers from 197 villages, he said.
He said that the state government also aims at employment generation, entrepreneurship development, increase in per animal productivity and enhance production of meat, milk and egg through the state animal husbandry and veterinary science department.
According to the governor, a highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF) has claimed at least 29,821 pigs since March last year affecting 9,461 families in all the eleven districts.
A total of 10,381 pigs had to be culled to prevent further spread of the pig disease and compensation amounting to Rs. 11.69 crore has been sought from the Centre for the culled pigs.
The outbreak of ASF, as of now, is more or less controlled and contained, he added.