Meghalaya strengthens Village Defence Parties to wage war against drugs
Guwahati: Taking a bold move to tackle one of the most sensitive issues in the state, the Meghalaya government has decided to increase the presence of Village Defence Parties (VDPs) across the state.
This important initiative was decided during a high-level meeting chaired by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Tuesday, which was also attended by officials from various departments, including home, police, social welfare, and NGOs actively engaged in the fight against drugs.
Lyngdoh highlighted the need to sensitize and bolster the VDPs, particularly in separate hotspots, including the city of Shillong.
He voiced his opinion about the vital role of community involvement, and said, “To eliminate and eradicate the menace of drugs and narcotics, we need to broaden the involvement of civil society.”
The minister further also elaborated on his recent interactions with local governing bodies, known as dorbar shnongs, and said that a consensus on their willingness to actively identify and address the drug crisis within their communities.
Further, the discussions focused more on empowering VDPs to tackle this pressing issue effectively.
Lyngdoh acknowledged the existing challenges, citing the dorbar shnongs' concerns about their limited authority to identify and register accused individuals with the police.
Lyngodoh said that the government is fully committed to enhancing community policing through the revitalized VDPs, which would receive adequate training to combat the drug menace.