SHILLONG, MAY 20: The state government on Monday released Rs 15.65 lakh as second instalment as funding to the Mawlai Town Dorbar, which is first traditional institution in Meghalaya to come up with an anti-drug campaign to help rehabilitate drug addicts from in and around the locality.

The fund under the DREAM project was released and handed over by the Minister in-charge Social Welfare Paul Lyngdoh to the functionaries of the Mawlai Town Dorbar at his office chamber.

Addressing the media, Lyngdoh said, “today we released the second instalment of funding amounting to Rs 15.65 lakh, which is over and above the first instalment of Rs 6 lakh that was released in the month of November last year to facilitate the anti-drug campaign of the Mawlai Town Dorbar, which took care to accommodate around 30 of drug addicts, offered them counselling as well as livelihood programmes. The residents, who were offered shelter by the town dorbar with the support from the government of Meghalaya have also received counselling on how to deal with the various afflictions post their drug addiction phase.”

“With today’s release of funds, the town of Dorbar will be in a better position to further amplify its activities and also help more of these drug users. There are a good number of them who have returned to normal social life and a few of them also have gone back to their families,” he said.

Expressing extreme delight over the success of the anti-drug campaign, the minister said, “I also acknowledge the support of the chief minister as the chairman of the state level committee of the DREAM project.”

He informed that the Mawlai Town Dorbar is the first traditional institution to come forward and openly offered its support to the government in its fight against drug menace, by providing a space for setting up the rehabilitation centre.

Appealing to all Dorbar Shnongs to join hands in the implementation of the DREAM project, Lyngdoh said, we are now appealing to various Dorbars to join hands with the government. One way that we can come to immediately help is through this DREAM mission to set up what are called halfway homes, whereby the Dorbars can offer us land and we will set up the required facilities. “

“In the last general meeting convened in presence of the chief minister, various dorbars have made this open offer to them. A few have responded but then some of these offers still lack the required parameters, which they should meet. For instance, we are looking for lands on which government can set up facilities or if they have community halls, which can be used exclusively for sheltering these inmates during the course of reform programmes,” he added “A number of these Dorbar Shnongs have offered their support, but the problem with the Dorbar Shnongs is that the halls would be available only for a certain period of time as and when they have their meetings, they require those halls again so that becomes problematic for us.”

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