Jammu; A massive Nasha Mukt Padyatra aimed at spreading awareness against drug abuse witnessed an overwhelming participation of nearly 14,000–15,000 people in Jammu on Saturday, even as the event triggered severe traffic disruption across the city, drawing sharp political reactions.
The anti-drug awareness programme was organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, J&K, in collaboration with the Divisional Administration at M.A. Stadium.
The rally was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also briefly participated in the padyatra along with senior officials, public representatives, students, and volunteers.
The rally commenced from M.A. Stadium and passed through Dogra Chowk, Bhagat Singh Chowk, JP Chowk, Vivekanand Chowk, Raghunath Bazaar, Bharat Mata Chowk, and Purani Mandi, and culminated at Parade Ground, Jammu.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the growing menace of drug abuse and emphasized the crucial role of families, society, and institutions in combating the issue. He called upon citizens to actively support volunteers, law enforcement agencies, and uniformed personnel in eradicating the drug menace from society.
Before the commencement of the rally, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu delivered a brief welcome address, highlighting the importance of collective efforts by the administration, educational institutions, and society in eradicating the menace of drug abuse from the region. Moreover a Cultural Programme was also performed by Sonali Dogra.
A large number of dignitaries, including senior administrative and police officials, elected representatives, and members of civil society, attended the programme, underlining the administration’s push for a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir.
The prominent participants included Chief Secretary J&K UT, Home Secretary J&K UT, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Satish Sharma (Cabinet minister JKUT), IGP Jammu Zone, IGP Traffic, IGP Security Jammu, DIG JKS Range, DIG Traffic Jammu, DIG Security, SSP Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, SSP Security Jammu, SSP Traffic Jammu, SSP PCR Jammu, Municipal Commissioner Jammu, Director Information Jammu, Director Sports Jammu, Joint Director Information, Secretary Sports Jammu, ADC Jammu, ADGP S.J.M. Geelani, ADGP Anand Jain, ADGP M.K. Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister, MLA Garu Ram, MLA Devyani Rana, Mahant Rohit Shastri, Manish Sahni (Shiv Sena), Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, Rameshwar Dass Mahant, Raninder Sharma (Ex-Mayor), TS Tony (DDC Suchetgarh) MLA Vikram Randhawa, MLA Surinder Bhagat, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA Yudhvir Sethi, MLA Arvind Gupta, MLA Sham Lal Sharma, MLA Mohan Lal Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Financial Commissioner Shalin Kabra, and other senior officers and officials.
School children and representatives from various departments also participated in the event.
However, the large-scale movement restrictions during the rally led to massive traffic congestion, with commuters reportedly stranded for several hours across multiple locations in the city.
Reacting to the situation, former minister and JKNPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh criticized the authorities over what he termed as poor planning and lack of coordination.
Speaking to media at Press Club Jammu, he said the sudden restrictions caused confusion among the public, which was further aggravated by unverified information on social media.
While acknowledging the importance of anti-drug initiatives, he stressed that such programmes must be executed in a manner that minimizes inconvenience to the general public.
He also raised serious concerns over the growing drug menace, questioning the effectiveness of current measures and calling for stricter action against major drug traffickers. He alleged that influential elements often remain beyond scrutiny and demanded more transparent and result-oriented action.
