JAMMU: Under its ongoing mega awareness programme on drug abuse, under social responsibility programme, initiated by the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Department in collaboration with J and K Wine Traders/Bar with Hotel and Restaurants Association on Sunday organised painting competitions in different Excise Ranges of the State. The idea of organising such programmes under social responsibility is brainchild of Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Finance Minister J and K. The competitions were held under the overall supervision of T. Angchuk, Excise Commissioner, J and K, and Mohammed Shahid Saleem Dar, Deputy Excise Commissioner Executive, Jammu.
The theme of the painting contests was ‘Drug Addiction is an invitation to Death and Destruction’.
More than 2,000 students hailing from various schools took part in the painting competitions held at various venues falling under different Excise Ranges including Degree College, Leh, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibagh, Srinagar, Girls Higher Secondary School, Ranibagh, Anantnag, Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Sopore, Kala Kendra at Bikram Chowk, Jammu, Community Hall, Vijaypur, Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Kathua, Government M.L Higher Secondary School, Udhampur, Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Doda and Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Rajouri.
Two students from each government and private school were called for participation in the competitions under two different categories including Classes I to VI, and Classes VII to XII. The competition witnessed the participation of 119 students in Samba, 100 in Kathua, 99 in Rajouri, 210 in Udhampur, 70 in Doda, 270 in Leh, 80 in Srinagar, 110 in Anantnag and 50 in Baramulla.
The paintings justifying the theme of the competition would be analysed by the department and the winners would be announced by the department shortly. The winner of this competition would be given a cash prize of Rs 4,000 while runner-up would get Rs. 3,000. The third position holder would get a cash prize of Rs. 2,000 and consolation prizes of Rs. 1,000 would also be given to two outstanding performers in the different categories.
DEC, Leh, Tashi Dolma, ETOs Shamim Rather, Salim Akbar, Sajjad Ahmad Sofi, Naem Ur Rehman Mughal, Virinder Pawar, Tinna Mahajan, Sandeep Gupta, Naresh Koul, Gurdev Kumar and Sheeraz Ahmed were appointed as nodal officers at their respective Excise Ranges for the painting competitions. The paintings received by the department through the competition shall be preserved and used to create awareness amongst masses in near future through print, social, electronic, visual and other forms of media.
At Udhampur, Excise and Taxation Officer, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Naresh Koul presided over the function. The competition was held under the command of Excise Inspector Rajesh Verma.
Deputy Chief Education Officer, Udhampur, Ram Kumar, and Principal GHSS, Ved Parkash Sharma besides representatives of Wine Association Udhampur, Ashwani Kumar Baigra, Vikas Gupta and Rajesh Nagrota were also present.
Meanwhile at Vijaypur, SDM Samba Rajneesh Gupta, ETO Tinna Mahajan, CEO Samba O.P Bhagat, Susheel Bhat, Arti Khajuria, Dharamvir, Anurag and Shamsher from Excise Department were present.In Excise Range Rajouri-Poonch, the venue of painting competition, was Government Boys Higher Secondary School Rajouri. The competition was supervised by Riyaz Ahmed Malik, Vice Principal, Boys Higher Secondary School Rajouri and Kurshid Ahmed Lecturer, besides ETO Rajouri -Poonch Sheraz Ahmed Chouhan and his team. Er Liaqit Chowdhary, a social activist, working on the drug abuse movement said that it is a welcome step taken by the Excise Department.