THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Committees will be formed at the state, district, local body, ward and school levels as part of tightening measures to prevent the increasing use and distribution of drugs in the state, including among students. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Chief Minister will be the chairman and the local bodies minister will be the vice-chairman of the state-level committee. The committee will have the Finance, Education, Higher Education, Health, Industries, Law, Fisheries, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Sports ministers and secretaries as members. Chief Secretary is in charge of coordination. The first meeting will be held on September 22.

The president of the district panchayat will be the chairman of the district-level committee. The district collector will be the convener. Committees will meet on September 21. The local level committees will be chaired by the heads of local bodies. Police and excise officers will be the conveners.

The ward member will be the chairman of the ward-level committee. The committee will be headed by the PTA at the school level. The Chief Minister directed that local, ward and school-level committees should be formed by September 28.

Campaign to start on October 2
The anti-drug campaign will begin on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti. An anti-drug chain will be formed in all schools on November 1 with the participation of students, teachers, parents and former students.