Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika directs rehabilitation centre owners to furnish basic facilities within 3 months

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment of Assam Pijush Hazarika today i.e., on Saturday held a meeting with the owners of the Rehabilitation centres in Dispur and directed the owners to complete all necessary work within the next three months.

Addressing the review meeting at the Chief Minister's Conference Hall, Janata Bhawan today, the Minister urged the owners to follow certain principles keeping in view the minimum necessity of the residents of their centres.

Minister Pijush Hazarika stated that the rehabilitation centres should immediately focus on all four aspects of having a maximum of four residents in a normal size room, one toilet for every 5 to 7 residents, nutritious food, and regular health check-ups, all these four aspects should be taken care of immediately by the rehabilitation centres, the Minister directed that all necessary work should be completed in this regard within the next three months.

On the other hand, in order to open a rehabilitation centre, as was discussed at today's review meeting, clearance will be needed from the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Health Department, and the District Administration. Eight owners made up the departmental committee that was established at today's meeting, and they agreed to submit their report to create a new policy within the next two months. 

Meanwhile, the Minister promised that every effort would be made to prevent anyone from closing their centres abruptly and endangering the people.

The minister added that inhabitants of centres that won't be able to follow government policies and plan to shut down after the next three months would be transferred to government rehabilitation facilities. Minister Hazarika stated that it will be considered whether skill development training can be provided to 1000 residents of such rehabilitation centres in the upcoming fiscal year during the review meeting when it was being discussed whether schemes for skill development could be adopted in the government's initiative for residents who want to overcome drug addiction. 

Minister Hazarika also urged the officials of the Health Department and Police Department to work together with the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to control and regular monitoring of the rehabilitation centres so that drug addicts in the state can be given a new lease on life.