NEW DELHI, SEP 9 (PTI): Expanding its partnerships under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), the government on Wednesday signed agreements with four spiritual organisations to strengthen grassroots awareness, prevention, recovery and social mobilisation against substance abuse.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment signed Memoranda of Understanding with Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra, Chinmaya Mission, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan and Hare Krishna Movement in the presence of Ministry Secretary Sudhansh Pant.
Astik Kumar Pandey, Director (Drug Prevention), signed the agreements on behalf of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The respective organisations were represented by: Chandra Singh for Adhyatm Vigyan Satsang Kendra; Prema Vishwanath for Chinmaya Mission; Sadhvi Shitabha Bharti for Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan; and Fateh Chand Sharma for Hare Krishna Movement.
The partnerships form part of the department’s continuing efforts under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) to leverage the extensive reach, influence and community networks of spiritual and value-based organisations to strengthen awareness, prevention and social mobilisation against substance abuse, the ministry said in a statement.
On the occasion, Pant said collective efforts of the organisations already associated with the ministry have helped initiatives under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan reach more than 34.42 crore citizens.
He called upon the newly partnered organisations to maximise their outreach and utilise their extensive networks to spread the message against substance abuse.
Reiterating the importance of spiritual organisations in advancing the vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat, Pant said their extensive grassroots presence can play a significant role in fostering resilience among individuals and families, reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders, and encouraging affected persons to seek timely help, treatment and rehabilitation.
The ministry has previously entered into MoUs with The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, All World Gayatri Pariwar, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram and the University of Patanjali.
