Agartala (Tripura) [India], November 25 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday instructed the police to destroy the chain of the drug trade by identifying and apprehending the smugglers. He said that the state government is aligning its efforts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for creating a Neshamukt Bharat (Drug-Free India).

The Chief Minister inaugurated the South Tripura NM Super League Football Tournament at BKI ground, Belonia, on Saturday and also administered the pledge to the participating players.

Also Read | Telangana Assembly Elections 2023: EC Issues Advisory to CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Asks Him To Follow Model Code of Conduct in 'Letter and Spirit'.

"Intoxication is leading us towards destruction. PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have emphasized zero tolerance against drugs, and we are actively working in that direction. I am pleased that our government, in collaboration with the Tripura Police, is raising awareness through football matches," he said.

CM Saha also expressed gratitude to the District Magistrate of South District for taking the initiative to promote awareness through the football tournament.

Also Read | West Bengal: BSF Foils Cattle Smuggling Bid, Rescues 54 Cattle Heads.

A total of 28 matches will be played in this tournament. Later, CM Saha said, "We are all aware of the side effects of intoxication, not only affecting the drug addicts but the entire family. Around two to three generations have been destroyed due to drugs. During our door-to-door program, many families pleaded to save their children from the clutches of drugs. To address this, in this year's budget, we have decided to open de-addiction centres in all eight districts of the state." He highlighted that drugs are entering from Myanmar through Assam and Mizoram, and the smugglers are using Tripura as a corridor to smuggle them to Bangladesh. "For those involved in the drug trade, I have instructed the police to monitor and disrupt their activities, breaking the supply chain. We are actively working in this direction and have been seizing a massive cache of drugs across the state," he added. During the program, Sports Minister Tinku Roy, MLA of Rajnagar Assembly Constituency Swapna Majumder, and South District Magistrate Saju Wahid were present. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)