Manipur Textiles Minister Nemcha Kipgen formally inaugurated the Penial Care Centre (for Drugs and Alcohol De-Addiction and Rehabilitation) at Ward No.1 Keithelmanbi Military Colony near SDO Champhai office in Champhai Sub Division of Kangpokpi District.
Minister Nemcha Kipgen inaugurated the Drugs and Alcohol De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre by unveiling the inaugural plaque in the presence of Social Welfare Minister, H Dingo Singh and Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing who attended the event as functional president and guest of honour respectively.
Considering the alarming rise in drug abuse among the youth, a military pensioner, Pachon Kipgen and his wife Hoinu Kipgen established the Penial Care Centre with their savings of 32 years.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Nemcha Kipgen said that since drug addiction causes destructive effects not only on abusers and people around them but the society as a whole, reliable rehab centres are important because they will always have a positive impact.
She continued that such centres are designed to help drug addicts salvage their lives by offering various services including treatment and counselling while adding that a good de-addiction and rehabilitation centre is required so that those drug addicts can be assisted in getting over the situation and live a normal life.
Social Welfare Minister H Dingo Singh said that the government of Manipur and the social welfare department are tirelessly imparting awareness, and to curb the drug menace in society a collective effort and involvement of all is the need of the hour.
Let us not ill-treat those drug addicts/abusers but we must rather show them the greatest love while providing them with awareness of the drugs to bring them back to normal life, he said.
Saikul MLA Kimneo Haokip Hangshing said that the necessity of a De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in our society is not a good sign and it is very unfortunate but whether we like it or not it has become the need of the hour given the alarming drug menace in the society.
While appreciating the founder of Penial Care Centre, the MLA called upon all like-minded individuals and civil society organizations to render maximum cooperation and support to the centre.
The chairman and founder of the Penial Care Centre said that after coming back to his native place after his retirement from the military, the alarming drugs menace in the society had badly disturbed him, making him unable to rest in peace which finally made him decide to establish the centre with all the savings he had made during his 32 years of service.
