Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked all colleges under the Higher Education Department to launch an awareness campaign for making their campuses free of drugs.

The Higher Education Department today wrote a letter in this regard to the principals of all government and non-government aided colleges in the state.

The government has asked the colleges to give wide publicity to the MANAS portal launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Any student or citizen can lodge complaints regarding the use of drugs on college campuses through the helpline number (1933) and mobile app ‘Umang’ as suggested by the MANAS (Mental health and Normalcy Augmentation System) portal, said the letter.

Similarly, the colleges have been asked to create massive awareness among the students as well as common people through NSS volunteers to take anti-drug e-pledge on My Gov platform.

Besides, the state government has asked the colleges to sensitize their students about the harmful effects of drugs on individuals and the society through sensitization programmes, rally and programmes like debate, essay writing and painting.

“The growing menace of drug and narcotic substance abuse among youth has emerged as a serious threat to the wellbeing of individuals and harmony of our society. Educational institutions, being the fundamental spaces for shaping the future of our nation, have a pivotal role to play in fostering a healthy, safe and drug-free environment,” read the letter.