On International Youth Day Himachal Pradesh CM urges youth to stay away from drugs

Shimla, Aug 12 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday appealed to the state's youths to report drug traffickers to the police and assured them that his government was committed to rehabilitating the addicts.
    On the occasion of International Youth Day, he urged people to stay away from drugs and actively support efforts to make the state drug-free.
    The chief minister also said that strict action was being taken against the drug mafia, which includes confiscating their properties.
    During the event, Sukhu launched a month-long HIV awareness campaign that will cover 6,000 villages and more than 1,500 educational institutions in the state.
    He also started the second phase of the car-bin distribution drive, handing over garbage bins to 50 taxi drivers in Shimla.
    As many as 6,000 car-bins will be distributed across he state, in addition to the 4,000 units distributed in the first phase.
    In April, the state government made the installation of garbage bins in all types of vehicles, including taxis, buses, trucks, and government and private vehicles, mandatory.
    The chief minister also flagged off a 'Red Run' and 'Bicycle Run' from his official residence in the morning and awarded the winners.
    "Today's youth are the future of the nation, and the progress of Himachal Pradesh is directly linked to their well-being," Sukhu said. "The reforms being implemented now will benefit the youth in the next five years, and they will proudly say they belong to the most prosperous state in the country."
    Recounting his government's efforts in the farming sector, the chief minister said 90 per cent of Himachal Pradesh's population lives in villages, but farming is no longer the main source of livelihood.
    The government is promoting natural farming and offering minimum support prices for wheat, maize, raw turmeric and barley, he said.
    Sukhu stated that the hill state aims to become a leader in natural farming, with processed products being made available through fair price shops.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)