Aizawl, Jan 29 : Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday once again urged the youth and all sections of society to stay away from drugs and actively fight the growing drug menace.

Inaugurating the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Mizoram Group Headquarters in Aizawl, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the increasing impact of substance abuse among young people and stressed the need to shield them from such harmful influences.

He said that disciplined, capable and committed youth should be provided with wider opportunities to showcase their talents and skills.

Keeping these objectives in mind, the state government decided to establish its own NCC Group Headquarters, he added.

Last year, the Mizoram government conducted a special four-month-long operation, between September and December 2025, to curb the smuggling of drugs from outside the state, particularly from Myanmar. The state police, in coordination with the Excise and Narcotics Department and the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest civil society organisation in the state, carried out the operation along with awareness campaigns.

Following the brief inaugural programme, the Chief Minister held a meeting with ministers and senior NCC officers.

In his remarks on the occasion, Lalduhoma recalled the efforts made to establish the NCC Group Headquarters in Mizoram and expressed hope that the youth of the state would actively participate in NCC activities and use the platform for positive character building.

With this development, NCC Mizoram, which was earlier administered under Assam, will now function under its own dedicated Group Headquarters.

NCC's Additional Director General, North Eastern Region, Major General Anurag Vij said that NCC aims to train and guide youth to become self-disciplined, courageous and responsible citizens who contribute positively to the nation, society and family, while remaining free from substance abuse and unhealthy lifestyles.

Whenever the state government initiates programmes aligned with these goals, the NCC is ready to extend full cooperation, he added.

Major General Vij also observed that while youth from Northeast India are disciplined and capable, they are sometimes perceived as being less integrated with other parts of the country.

To address this, the NCC plans to provide wider exposure by facilitating greater interaction with people from other states, thereby strengthening mutual understanding.

On infrastructure, NCC officials highlighted the need for suitable accommodation and said that if the state government provides land, the NCC would be able to construct its own facilities. The land need not be permanently transferred and could be provided on a long-term lease basis.

Currently, Mizoram has four NCC units with around 8,000 cadets. With the establishment of the Group Headquarters, NCC activities in the state are expected to expand further.

/IANS