Dharamshala, Sept. 30 -- The Himachal Pradesh government has approved Rs.5.34 crore for constructing a 100-bedded state-of-the-art de-addiction centre at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur district, with dedicated spaces for recreational activities, a government spokesperson said on Monday. This initiative forms part of a two-pronged strategy to tackle drug abuse - focusing on both prevention and rehabilitation of affected youth. "The de-addiction centre will facilitate rehabilitation efforts. Additionally, five new centres will be set up in Mandi, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Solan, and Sirmaur districts. For early intervention and counselling, the government has established 108 new 'Disha' centres in health institutions across the state. These centres are staffed with specially trained ASHA workers, doctors and psychiatrists. Currently, four de-addiction centres for men operate in Kullu, Una, Hamirpur, and Kangra, and a separate centre for women is run by the Red Cross Society in Kullu. On long-term preparedness, the state is collaborating with NITI Aayog, PGI, and the health department to develop a State Action Plan for drug prevention and rehabilitation. Under the National Drug Prevention Campaign, over 5.76 lakh people have been sensitised about the dangers of drug abuse across 5,660 villages and 4,332 educational institutions. Strengthening legal measures, the Himachal Pradesh Organised Crime (Prevention and Control) Bill-2025 imposes stringent punishments, including death penalty, life imprisonment, fines up to Rs.10 lakh, and confiscation of illegally acquired property. The Drugs and Controlled Substances (Prevention, De-addiction and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2025, creates a state fund to support rehabilitation and preventive education while prescribing strict penalties for offenders....