Shillong, Sept 10, 2025: The drug menace in Meghalaya once again took centre stage in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, with MLAs from the Voice of the People Party (VPP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) pressing the government for details on its response to the crisis.
Raising the issue during the ongoing Autumn Session, VPP legislators Brightstarwell Marbaniang and Heaving Stone Kharpran, along with UDP’s Mayral Born Syiem, sought clarifications from Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh on two fronts — the government’s flagship programme DREAM (Drug Reduction, Elimination and Action Mission), and the total quantity of drugs seized in the state over the past five years.
In reply, Lyngdoh informed the House that comprehensive seizure data provided by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) had been laid on the Table. The seizures from the past five years include:
Heroin: 40,971.74 grams
Ganja/Cannabis: 12,756.47 kilograms
Opium: 2.65436 kilograms
Yaba Tablets (WY): 76.50074 kilograms
White Crystal Meth: 14.232 kilograms
Other Psychotropic Substances: 16,448.145 grams
Codeine Cough Syrup: 1,24,906 bottles
“These figures underscore the gravity of the drug menace in Meghalaya, but they also reflect the relentless efforts of our enforcement agencies in curbing trafficking and consumption,” Lyngdoh said.
The Minister added that through the DREAM Mission, the government is not only intensifying enforcement but also expanding awareness programmes, rehabilitation initiatives, and preventive interventions to safeguard the state’s youth from falling prey to addiction.
