Sikkim: SADA cases have reduced drastically in state, claims Sarathi NGO

Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act (SADA) cases have reduced drastically in the state in the last three years, claimed Sarathi NGO on October 12. 

The development comes after the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party alleged that the number of drug cases has increased. 
 
While addressing reporters over the same, advisor to state chief minister and chief resource person of the NGO, Rohit Raj Maharaj, said, ''In the year 2017 there were 158 cases, in 2018 the number stood at 113 cases, while in 2019 there were 69 cases''. 

''But in 2020 there were 43 such cases reported while in 2021  there were 40 cases lastly in 2022  there are 51 cases have been reported so far. So, there is a drastic fall in the number of cases this,'' he added.

He further said that this has happened due to their intense efforts and awareness programme. 

However, when he was asked that on what basis they are claiming these figures, he replied, ''We have data that we are collecting and very soon we will make it public''.

It is worth mentioning that on October 9, SDF Spokesperson Arun Limboo claimed that the drug problem was there in the SDF government but it has increased sharply during these three and half years of the SKM government. 

''There have been zero efforts to tackle the drug abuse problem by the SKM government. The past SDF government had taken many steps to combat this issue and one initiative was SAATHI which reached out to over 1 lakh students of Sikkim with an awareness drive on drug abuse and mental health,'' he added. 

''No such step has been taken by the SKM," he alleged.

While Bishal Sharma Pokhrel ( East) General Secretary of SARATHI NGO said, "SAATHI program was there but the output was not there but SARATHI has many success stories as compared to it."