Press Release
Press Release from Agriculture Department
Information & Public Relations Department
Agriculture Department Hosts Awareness Programme on Nasha Mukt Abhiyan, Calls for Collective Action Against Substance Abuse
Gangtok, August 30: The Agriculture Department successfully hosted a one-day Awareness Programme on the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan at the Conference Hall, Krishi Bhawan, Tadong, on 30th August 2025. The event aimed to spread awareness about substance use, its prevention, and the creation of a drug-free society.
The programme was chaired by Shri Jigme Dorjee Bhutia, Secretary, Agriculture Department, and attended by key officials, including the Principal Director, Agriculture; Director, Agriculture; Additional Secretary; Additional Directors; Joint Directors; Deputy Directors; ADOs; Divisional Engineer; AE; JE; AO; Adm. Secretary (All Sikkim Govt. Drivers Association); staff; and drivers of the Agriculture Department.
The meeting also had the presence of resource persons from the Social Welfare Department: Shri Ram Kr. Tamang (Deputy Director), an Inspector from the Social Welfare Department, along with a Psychiatric Nurse and a Psychologist from the Centre for Addiction Medicine, Chuwatar, Singtam.
The session began with an introductory and welcome address by the Joint Director of Agriculture, followed by a comprehensive speech by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary emphasized the Agriculture Department’s role in grassroots awareness, highlighting the challenges of addiction and its societal effects. He further stressed that the Agriculture Department would support such a noble cause with full dedication and cooperation, urging the house to take the matter seriously and accept individual responsibility as government employees to curb the drug menace in society.
Shri Ram Kr. Tamang, the resource person, provided insights into the history and reach of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA), which was officially launched by the Government of India in 2015 and adopted statewide in 2020. He also emphasized the launch of the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan in the State to make Sikkim a Nasha Mukt State. He further enlightened the house on the various programs under the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan, which include a variety of awareness activities—from cultural events to government employee initiatives—that have expanded across 63 secretariats in Sikkim.
Technical sessions were conducted by psychiatric professionals from the Centre for Addiction Medicine, Chuwatar, Sikkim, addressing the medical aspects of addiction, including substance misuse, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms. Specific topics on alcohol, tobacco, and opioid use were discussed, with a focus on the importance of early intervention and rehabilitation, which proved to be highly insightful.
The closing remarks stressed the importance of family influence, peer support, and collective responsibility in combating addiction.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by the Divisional Engineer of the Agriculture Department, acknowledging the contributions of all attendees and resource persons.
The event ended with a call for prompt and action-oriented measures to curb addiction, with a focus on collaboration between all stakeholders.
Gangtok, August 30: The Agriculture Department successfully hosted a one-day Awareness Programme on the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan at the Conference Hall, Krishi Bhawan, Tadong, on 30th August 2025. The event aimed to spread awareness about substance use, its prevention, and the creation of a drug-free society.
The programme was chaired by Shri Jigme Dorjee Bhutia, Secretary, Agriculture Department, and attended by key officials, including the Principal Director, Agriculture; Director, Agriculture; Additional Secretary; Additional Directors; Joint Directors; Deputy Directors; ADOs; Divisional Engineer; AE; JE; AO; Adm. Secretary (All Sikkim Govt. Drivers Association); staff; and drivers of the Agriculture Department.
The meeting also had the presence of resource persons from the Social Welfare Department: Shri Ram Kr. Tamang (Deputy Director), an Inspector from the Social Welfare Department, along with a Psychiatric Nurse and a Psychologist from the Centre for Addiction Medicine, Chuwatar, Singtam.
The session began with an introductory and welcome address by the Joint Director of Agriculture, followed by a comprehensive speech by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary emphasized the Agriculture Department’s role in grassroots awareness, highlighting the challenges of addiction and its societal effects. He further stressed that the Agriculture Department would support such a noble cause with full dedication and cooperation, urging the house to take the matter seriously and accept individual responsibility as government employees to curb the drug menace in society.
Shri Ram Kr. Tamang, the resource person, provided insights into the history and reach of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA), which was officially launched by the Government of India in 2015 and adopted statewide in 2020. He also emphasized the launch of the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan in the State to make Sikkim a Nasha Mukt State. He further enlightened the house on the various programs under the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan, which include a variety of awareness activities—from cultural events to government employee initiatives—that have expanded across 63 secretariats in Sikkim.
Technical sessions were conducted by psychiatric professionals from the Centre for Addiction Medicine, Chuwatar, Sikkim, addressing the medical aspects of addiction, including substance misuse, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms. Specific topics on alcohol, tobacco, and opioid use were discussed, with a focus on the importance of early intervention and rehabilitation, which proved to be highly insightful.
The closing remarks stressed the importance of family influence, peer support, and collective responsibility in combating addiction.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by the Divisional Engineer of the Agriculture Department, acknowledging the contributions of all attendees and resource persons.
The event ended with a call for prompt and action-oriented measures to curb addiction, with a focus on collaboration between all stakeholders.