Gangtok, August 18 (IPR): The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India, organised a Media Workshop-Vartalap in Gangtok today.
The workshop was attended by IGP, Special Branch, Mr Pratap Pradhan, Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim, Mr Sunil Kumar Mothay, Special Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Tshering Laden Lachungpa, Joint Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Sikkim, Mr Deepak Rai, Police Inspector, Sikkim Police, Ms Deepa Sharma, DIO, Gangtok, Mr Dependra Sharma, Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Gangtok, Mr Manas Pratim Sarma, and Retired IIS, Government of India, Mr C.K. Dorjee, along with officers and representatives of PIB and members of the media fraternity.
The programme commenced with a welcome address delivered by Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Gangtok, Mr Manas Pratim Sarma.
Addressing the gathering, IGP, Special Branch, Mr Pratap Pradhan, outlined the multi-pronged approach being adopted by the Sikkim Police to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse.
He said that preventing the illegal trafficking, transportation and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances remains one of the primary responsibilities of law enforcement agencies. He highlighted regular patrolling, surveillance, enforcement and intelligence gathering as key components of the Police's efforts.
He informed that the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has been constituted to strengthen enforcement of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. He also highlighted the role of the NCORD mechanism in strengthening coordination between the Centre and the State and facilitating information sharing among various enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Mr Pratap Pradhan stressed that combating drug trafficking requires a multi-tier institutional mechanism involving the State Police, Central agencies, intelligence agencies and other stakeholders. He said that effective inter-agency coordination and timely sharing of intelligence are essential to identify drug networks and disrupt the illegal supply chain.
On the disposal of seized contraband, he explained that following completion of the prescribed legal procedures and receipt of orders from the competent court, seized narcotic substances are destroyed at the district or State level, as applicable.
He placed particular emphasis on community outreach and awareness, stating that the Police regularly conduct awareness programmes in schools, colleges, youth clubs and communities. He said that young people are encouraged to stay away from substance abuse and participate in sports, interaction and other constructive activities.
He further highlighted door-to-door awareness campaigns and outreach at the panchayat level, where communities are sensitised about the harmful effects of drugs and the provisions of the NDPS Act.
Referring to the Government of Sikkim's zero-tolerance approach towards drugs, he said that the collective objective is to make Sikkim a drug-free State. He also urged citizens to use the emergency helpline whenever police assistance is required.
Mr Pratap Pradhan stressed the importance of identifying drug hotspots and strengthening community intelligence. He said that local residents, panchayats and community representatives can play an important role by providing timely and confidential information about suspected drug-related activities.
He said that the fight against drugs must focus on three key areas, namely supply reduction, demand reduction, and treatment and rehabilitation.
While supply reduction requires effective enforcement and intelligence-led action, he said demand reduction requires sustained awareness, education and community engagement. He added that treatment and medical care, including counselling, de-addiction and rehabilitation services, are equally important for helping affected persons return to a healthy and productive life.
Addressing the workshop, Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim, Mr Sunil Kumar Mothay, expressed appreciation to PIB for organising the Vartalap and providing a platform for interaction between the government and the media fraternity.
He explained that the primary role of the IPR Department in flagship programmes such as VB-G RAM-G and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is to support the concerned nodal departments through awareness generation, media outreach and public communication.
He said that IPRD reaches out to the public as required by the implementing departments, covers programmes at the field level and disseminates information about government initiatives to the wider public.
He also highlighted the Department's media outreach initiatives, through which media personnel are provided an opportunity to visit programme sites, observe implementation on the ground and report directly from the field.
He emphasised that the Department would continue to undertake awareness and communication activities in coordination with the respective implementing departments.
Addressing the session on VB-G RAM-G, Special Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Sikkim, Ms Tshering Laden Lachungpa, outlined the progress made by the State in implementing the new rural employment programme.
She recalled that PIB had organised its first Vartalap on VB-G RAM-G when the programme was still at an early stage following the passage of the VB-G RAM-G Act, 2025.
She informed that the VB-G RAM-G scheme had subsequently been notified in Sikkim, with implementation commencing officially thereafter.
She described the current period as a year of transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM-G and said that the transition had been designed to ensure continuity of employment and livelihood opportunities for rural workers.
She explained that Sikkim had taken its diverse agro-climatic conditions into consideration while implementing the provision relating to the peak agricultural season. Accordingly, the peak agricultural season has been notified for different agro-climatic zones, allowing the sowing and harvesting periods to be appropriately accommodated.
She said that the State was also in the process of framing and operationalising the required rules, guidelines, protocols and circulars to translate the statutory provisions into practical mechanisms at district, block and gram panchayat levels.
She highlighted the State-wide orientation, IEC and capacity-building programmes undertaken for officials and panchayat representatives and said that implementation had commenced across all districts and blocks of Sikkim.
She further stated that VB-G RAM-G should not be viewed solely as an employment programme, but also in the broader context of rural transformation, livelihood security and creation of durable community assets.
For Sikkim, she identified water security, natural resource management, climate resilience, agriculture, connectivity and livelihood infrastructure as important areas requiring convergence among departments and programmes.
She also underlined the important role of the media in taking accurate and timely information about the programme to rural households and in bringing the concerns and feedback of beneficiaries back to the government.
Addressing the workshop, DIO, Gangtok, Mr Dependra Sharma, highlighted the importance of the Vartalap platform in strengthening interaction between government representatives and the media.
He said that such interactions provide an opportunity to understand government programmes directly from the officials responsible for their implementation and enable the media to disseminate accurate information to the public.
He also emphasised the role of the media in taking information on flagship programmes to the grassroots, particularly to rural and semi-urban areas.
Sharing his experience, Retired IIS, Government of India, Mr C.K. Dorjee, recalled his long association with PIB and the public information campaigns conducted across Sikkim during his tenure.
He said that he had travelled to almost all the blocks of Sikkim to create awareness about various flagship programmes, including MGNREGA, the National Health Mission, education initiatives and other government schemes.
Mr C.K. Dorjee recalled that such programmes were conducted in coordination with panchayats, government departments, ministers and senior officials, with the participation of different media units, including All India Radio and Doordarshan.
He said that joint programmes were organised in rural areas to take information on government initiatives directly to communities.
Speaking about VB-G RAM-G, he noted that the employment guarantee had increased from the earlier provision under MGNREGA. He observed that the programme was still relatively new and that its long-term impact would need to be assessed over time.
He also highlighted the significant participation of women in rural employment programmes and said that such initiatives had provided important livelihood support to rural households, particularly during periods when agricultural work was limited.
On Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, he stressed the need for greater awareness among young people about the harmful effects of drug and alcohol addiction.
Mr C.K. Dorjee said that substance abuse can have serious social and economic consequences for families and communities and called for greater outreach in rural areas, sub-divisions and semi-urban areas.
He suggested stronger coordination between government departments, panchayats, NGOs and the media and highlighted the role of local and vernacular media in taking government programmes and awareness messages to the grassroots.
He also called for more Vartalap and media interaction programmes outside State capitals and district headquarters so that rural communities could benefit from greater access to information.
Speaking during the technical session on VB-G RAM-G, Joint Secretary, Rural Development Department, Government of Sikkim, Mr Deepak Rai, highlighted the key features and implementation of the new rural employment programme in the State.
He said that training and orientation programmes had been conducted at the State, district, block and gram panchayat levels, along with district-level panchayat conferences to familiarise elected representatives and stakeholders with the programme.
Mr Deepak Rai said VB-G RAM-G provided guaranteed rural employment, compared with the earlier provision under MGNREGA. He explained that eligible job card holders can demand unskilled employment through their gram panchayat, providing rural households with a legal guarantee of employment.
He emphasised that the programme follows an outcome-based approach, under which the focus is not only on creating assets but also on ensuring that the assets serve their intended purpose and provide tangible benefits to local communities.
He also highlighted the importance of convergence among different departments and schemes for creating meaningful rural infrastructure and said development planning should reflect the changing needs and aspirations of rural communities.
Mr Deepak Rai stressed the need for participatory planning, involving elected representatives, officials, experienced community members and local stakeholders in preparing gram panchayat development plans.
He further highlighted the pause period during the peak agricultural season. He said no VB-G RAM-G works would be opened during this period, allowing rural workers to focus on their agricultural activities.
On implementation challenges, he said the programme relies extensively on digital governance, covering demand registration, attendance, monitoring, geo-tagging and payments. He acknowledged the need for continued training of field functionaries to strengthen their capacity to use the digital systems effectively.
Mr Deepak Rai said that despite the challenges associated with the transition and digital implementation, VB-G RAM-G had commenced successfully in Sikkim and was aimed at strengthening rural employment, creating useful community assets and promoting sustainable rural development.
During the technical session on Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and its Impact in Sikkim, Police Inspector, Sikkim Police, Ms Deepa Sharma, highlighted the Police's long-standing efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
She said that the Vartalap provided an opportunity to reflect on the work being undertaken under the Nasha Mukt campaign and informed that the Sikkim Police had been taking strict action under the NDPS Act, 1985 and Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act, 2006.
She said that the Police continued to take strict legal action against those involved in the sale, purchase and transportation of narcotic substances.
She also explained that investigations extend beyond the immediate offence. Where investigations establish that property, vehicles, houses or other valuable assets had been acquired through proceeds from drug-related activities, the Police can take action under the applicable legal provisions.
She said that investigations also examine illegal financial transactions linked to drug activities and focus on identifying the financial networks supporting the drug trade.
Ms Deepa Sharma stressed the importance of investigating both the backward and forward linkages of drug cases to identify suppliers, sources and intended destinations of narcotic substances and to break the wider trafficking nexus.
She also highlighted the Police's role in rehabilitation, stating that persons affected by drug abuse were not viewed only as offenders. The Police also worked with individuals and their families to facilitate access to rehabilitation centres and support their return to a responsible and productive life.
She stressed the importance of public participation in the campaign and said that the identity of persons providing information to the Police would be kept confidential.
She said that awareness initiatives had encouraged socially conscious citizens and community watchers to provide information about suspected drug-related activities. She also noted that parents had increasingly been approaching the Police for assistance when family members were struggling with addiction.
Calling for collective action, she said that combating drugs could not be left to the Police alone. Families, communities, educational institutions, government departments, local bodies, enforcement agencies and the media all had a role to play.
She urged citizens not to remain indifferent to drug-related activities in their surroundings and emphasised that timely information and community cooperation were essential to preventing the spread of substance abuse.
The workshop concluded with an interactive Question-and-Answer session, during which participants sought clarifications from the resource persons on the implementation of VB-G RAM-G, drug prevention measures, enforcement, rehabilitation and community participation.