Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday announced the launch of a ₹50 crore initiative under the Drug Reduction, Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM) to strengthen the state’s fight against drug abuse. The announcement was made during the State-Level Observance of the International Day Against Drug Abuse, held under the theme “Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment & Recovery for All.”

The DREAM initiative will be implemented over five years, focusing on supporting rehabilitation centres, particularly faith-based and community-led organizations working to curb substance abuse. The state government has also partnered with the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM) to equip schools, teachers, and NGOs with toolkits to build a drug-resilient society.

Sharing recent enforcement data, the Chief Minister stated that over ₹1,000 crore worth of drugs have been seized in the past three years. A total of 1,031 cases have been registered, and more than 422 charge sheets have been filed. Enforcement units are being further strengthened with the addition of scanners and K-9 units.

As part of the observance, the Chief Minister led a pledge under the National Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, urging citizens to join the movement against drug abuse and protect the future of the state’s youth.