No. of de-addiction camps, funds slashed, Rs 2 cr approved

JAIPUR: To tackle and reduce the consumption of doda post (poppy husk), the state health department in cooperation with the finance department has chalked out strategies to hold de-addition camps in 17 districts and 10 medical colleges, including six government and four private medical colleges of the state.
But, the project faced a setback since the funds allocated for the de-addiction camps have been slashed and the number of camps planned has also been reduced.For the camps, the health department sought Rs 17 crore for the project but only Rs 2 crore were allocated.
The health department constituted district-wise committees to finalize the schedule and other details of the camps on Saturday. The government plans to weed out doda post from the state.
The 17 districts identified by the state government, where the consumption of doda post is high to set up the camps, are Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali, Jalore, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Nagaur, Jaipur, Alwar, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Rajsamand, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Sirohi and Churu.
Health directorate nodal officer (de-addiction) Dr Rambabu Jaiswal said, "We have started training doctors and paramedical staff to help them hold such camps in the state."
Earlier, the health department had planned to hold 270 camps in the state which required Rs 17 crore. As Rs 2 crore have been sanctioned, the department had to reduce the number of camps from 270 to 98. The project has also taken off with a delay. The health department has limited time left for organizing the camps as the financial year has only three months to end.
The high demand and limited supply of doda post leads to law and order problems in various districts. According to estimated figures, there are around 22,500 registered users and more than 17,300 addicts, whose licenses have not been renewed. A health department official said government distributes doda post to addicts with licenses. The government requires 17,370 quintal of doda post annually for the registered users. But, additional amount of 13,500 quintal is also required for more than 17,379 addicts, whose licenses have not been renewed.
A major cause of concern for the state government, are users, who neither have licenses nor are they registered. In case of shortage of doda post, the addicts stage protests and block roads.
Now, the department will hold eight-day-long camps in 17 districts and 10 medical colleges in the state where they would run de-addiction camps. The health department along with excise department will encourage the poppy husk addicts to get admitted for eight days in the camps to get treated. The doctors will train four doctors and six paramedical staff members to run the de-addiction camps in their respective districts.