Udupi district, 6 Nov 2026 – On Friday, District Collector Swaroop T.K. chaired the NCOARD district‑level coordination committee meeting in the Manipal collectorate hall and urged authorities to place the newly developed QR code for anonymous drug‑related reporting at every public venue.
The QR code, created by the police department, enables citizens to scan and confidentially share information about drug sale, transport or consumption. Swaroop T.K. stressed that the identity of informants must remain strictly protected.
He appealed to the community to help make Udupi drug‑free, insisting that any observation of narcotics activity be reported through the QR system. The collector highlighted the health hazards, economic losses and future hardships that substance abuse inflicts on individuals, especially youth.
To curb illicit pharmacy practices, the commissioner ordered that every medical shop display a sign reading “Sale of medicines without a doctor’s prescription prohibited.” Continuous CCTV monitoring is now mandatory, with footage retained for at least three months. Authorities will also scrutinise purchases of cough syrups that raise suspicion.
Educational institutions received specific directives: hostels must conduct blood tests, low‑attendance students should be identified and counselled together with their parents, and QR codes must be prominently displayed in schools, colleges, hostels and bus stands. The education department will organise street plays, music and art programmes to raise awareness.
Gram panchayats are to declare their villages tobacco‑free, while agriculture, horticulture and forest officials will investigate reports of cannabis cultivation on farms, gardens and forest lands. Railway stations are to stay alert to drug transport and promote the QR code to travellers.
Mahé University’s network of more than 25 affiliated colleges will host intensified awareness drives on drug harms. Swaroop T.K. noted that earlier instructions to install QR codes in schools, hospitals, police stations and medical shops have not been fully implemented.
At the close of the meeting, the collector unveiled the “Tobacco‑Free Youth Campaign 4.0” poster, signalling a fresh push for a drug‑free district. Attendees included District Police Superintendent Hariram Shankar, Additional Superintendent Sudhakar Nayak, DHO Dr. Basavaraj Hubballi and officials from several departments.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati Udupi