Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday expressed his deep concerns over the rapid rise in HIV cases in Tripura and said that youths from elite society are the biggest victims of the drug menace.
Deb, while speaking at the healthy athletes’ special smile event organised by Abhoy Mission at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel, also said that on average, two cases are being detected every day to the state’s total caseload.
Deb said, “Every day, two fresh cases are being detected in the state. The situation is alarming. Most of the positive patients have a history of drug abuse. In most of the cases, victims belonged to the elite society. They are well educated, studied in good schools and have good financial backgrounds. But, despite having a bright future ahead, they took the wrong route of drug abuse which has silently ruined their future.”
The Chief Minister also told parents of special children that his government was compelled to open drug rehabilitation centres, spending money from the state’s exchequer, due to the situation arising out of the drug menace.
“In the last budget, Rs 20 crore was allocated for two drug rehabilitation centres in Tripura. This is huge money, and it could have been used for schemes of poverty alleviation or public welfare, had the challenges posed by drug abuse not been there. On other hand, special children are not like them. There are rare instances of special children getting misguided towards such paths,” Deb explained.
Citing references from Bhagavad Gita, Deb said, “I want to tell all the parents here, don’t get disheartened. All the children who have attended the event are full of special capabilities, and the parents have their roles to play in nurturing the skills to make them achieve something in life.”
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