Shri. Nityanand Rai, Honorable Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. Of India awarded UT Chandigarh for being one of the 30 best performing districts for successful implementation of Joint Action Plan on ‘Prevention of drugs and substance abuse among children and illicit trafficking’ during a felicitation ceremony being organised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on the occasion of national-level ‘review-cum-consultation meet’ on the the joint action plan held on 30. 06.2024 in New Delhi. The award was received by Shri Vinay Pratap Singh, District Commissioner, UT Chandigarh along with Smt. Shipra Bansal, Chairperson Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights, U.T. Chandigarh. Dedicated efforts under Joint Action Plan have been made by the concerned stakeholders i.e District Child Protection Unit, Departments of Health, Education, Social Welfare, Narcotics Bureau and Police to wean children away from drug abuse; stop the sale of drugs in areas surrounding educational and children care institutions; and prevent the reach of pharmaceutical drugs and other goods used as intoxicants by the children. The consultation was also attended by the officials of Department of Health Services including Ms. Bisman Ahuja Program Manager, Union Territory Child Protection Society, Chandigarh, Dr. Vijay Giridhar, In- Charge Department of Psychiatry, GMSH, Sector 16, Sh. Tajinder Singh, Drug Inspector, Dr. Jitendra Dhaiya Assistant Director, State Aids Control Society, UT Chandigarh.