Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla inaugurated the Nivrutti De-addiction Centre at the Cherlapally Central Prison, Hyderabad, on Monday, and called substance abuse a serious social and public concern.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor hailed the state government’s efforts to curb substance abuse with the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and praised the Telangana Prisons Department for adopting a reform-oriented approach.
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Soumya Mishra, said 2,915 inmates have been screened for substance abuse, of whom 590 underwent the World Health Organisation-Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO-ASSIST) and received counselling and treatment.
The Governor visited the Prisoner Agricultural Colony (PAC), Cherlapalli, where he interacted with inmates and reviewed agricultural and vocational programmes. He shared moments from his political life where he was imprisoned several times. “Being in a jail environment gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by inmates and prison staff,” he said.
