A 40-bed state-of-the-art de-addiction and rehabilitation centre is now ready at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda — giving Himachal Pradesh its most equipped public-sector facility yet for treating substance dependence. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the development on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, framing it as a government commitment to returning people trapped by addiction to the mainstream of society.

Posting in Hindi, CM Sukhu said: 'नशे की गिरफ्त में फंसे लोगों को बेहतर भविष्य देने के लिए हमारी सरकार ने टांडा मेडिकल कॉलेज में 40 बिस्तर का अत्याधुनिक नशामुक्ति एवं पुनर्वास केंद्र तैयार किया है।' ('To give a better future to people caught in the grip of addiction, our government has prepared a 40-bed state-of-the-art de-addiction and rehabilitation centre at Tanda Medical College.') The centre, he added, will help those battling addiction reconnect with the mainstream through advanced medical facilities and specialist care.

Why Tanda Medical College, and why now

Tanda Medical College — formally Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Kangra district — is Himachal Pradesh's principal hub for tertiary government healthcare and specialist training. Embedding a de-addiction facility within an existing medical college campus is a deliberate public-health strategy: it anchors rehabilitation inside a full-service clinical environment rather than an isolated centre, giving patients access to psychiatrists, physicians, and counsellors under one roof. The model is gaining traction across northern India, where state governments have increasingly co-located substance-abuse treatment with established medical college infrastructure.

Himachal Pradesh sits in a region where drug dependence has drawn sustained official concern. Northern states have faced documented pressures from both pharmaceutical misuse and trafficking routes, pushing health departments to move beyond awareness campaigns toward structured inpatient care. A 40-bed inpatient capacity — with specialist oversight — represents a meaningful upgrade from the patchwork of outpatient counselling services that have historically been the first resort for families seeking help.

NAPDDR and the national framework behind state action

The Centre's National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), operated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has since 2014 channelled funds to states for exactly this kind of infrastructure — integrated de-addiction and rehabilitation services within government health facilities. Himachal Pradesh's Tanda project fits squarely within that national architecture, though specific funding details for this centre have not been officially confirmed.

What the Sukhu government is signalling here is as much political as it is clinical: health investment that is visible, verifiable, and rooted in a district hospital that ordinary families already trust. For the Congress-led state administration, a finished facility speaks louder than a policy paper. The real test now is speed of operationalisation — how quickly beds fill, staff are posted, and the first patients complete treatment and return home.