A meeting of the district development committee, chaired by District Collector Adeela Abdulla, conducted recently has decided to strengthen the ‘Vimukthi’ project in the district to tackle the issue of growing substance abuse among tribespeople.
The meet directed the Excise Department to intensify awareness programmes against drug addiction in tribal hamlets. It also decided to execute special projects with the support of people’s representatives for the purpose.
C.K. Saseendran, MLA, said that suicide rate among tribespeople had increased considerably owing to their addiction to drugs and alcohol. The addiction also led to increasing incidents of violence against women and children in tribal hamlets, he said.
The meeting directed the authorities concerned to adopt measures to solve the issues related to malnutrition among tribal children. Awareness programmes would be organised against child marriage.
The meeting also decided to expedite renovation works of the land acquisition office of the Karapuzha irrigation project.
K.L. Paulose, representative of Rahul Gandhi, MP, urged the timely intervention of authorities to mitigate increasing incidents of man-animal conflict in the district and reduce traffic block in the Wayanad ghat section of roads on the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766.
District panchayat president Samshad Marakkar demanded an enquiry by Revenue Department officials into the issues related to the alleged conversion of land belonging to plantations.
He also urged to expedite drought mitigation measures in the district.
Assistant Collector Bal Preet Singh and senior officials of various departments attended the meet.
