Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday, 2 August announced a 100-week statewide mass movement to eliminate drug abuse, committing the state to a zero-tolerance policy against illegal drug networks. The pledge was made at a special programme held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, coinciding with the national launch of the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047' anti-drug campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi.

State-Level Launch at Kalinga Stadium

Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, and hundreds of students gathered at Kalinga Stadium to participate in the programme, which was also streamed virtually from New Delhi. Governor Kambhampati administered the 'Drug-Free Youth – Developed India Pledge Campaign' oath to all attendees.

Nationally, more than one crore young people assembled at over 10,000 locations across the country in the virtual presence of Prime Minister Modi to pledge their commitment to a drug-free India. The campaign is organised by MY Bharat under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

What the 100-Week Movement Entails

Chief Minister Majhi underlined that the initiative is not a symbolic one-day event but a sustained social movement running for 100 weeks — nearly two years. He characterised drug addiction as a crisis that goes beyond individual health, warning that it drains family finances and impedes the state's broader socio-economic progress.

The Odisha government has formally adopted a Zero Tolerance policy targeting illegal drug trade and the syndicates behind it. Alongside law enforcement, the government is also scaling up treatment and rehabilitation centres for those affected by substance abuse.

Odisha Police Crackdown: Key Numbers

CM Majhi shared a detailed account of enforcement action between July 2024 and June 2026. During this period, Odisha Police destroyed illegal cannabis cultivation spread across 63,720 acres, valued at nearly ₹1,911 crore. In the same window, 2,576 cases were registered, 3,699 accused persons were arrested, and 432 tonnes of cannabis worth ₹2,106 crore were seized.

The Chief Minister appealed to citizens to report any suspicious drug-related activity in their localities to the police immediately.

Governor's Call for a People's Movement

Governor Kambhampati stressed that government action alone cannot deliver a drug-free society. 'A drug-free society cannot be achieved by government efforts alone. Only if parents, teachers, social organisations, and especially the youth themselves emerge as the torchbearers of this movement can it be transformed into a path-breaking people's movement,' he said.

Noting that Odisha has established itself as one of the country's leading sporting hubs, the Governor urged young people to channel their energy into sports, fitness, yoga, values-based living, and community service as alternatives to substance abuse.

Broader National Context

The Odisha drive feeds into the Centre's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, which frames a drug-free youth population as foundational to national development. CM Majhi echoed this framing, describing Gen Z and the broader youth cohort as the primary builders of a developed India by 2047. The 100-week timeline means the movement is slated to run through well into 2027, with enforcement, rehabilitation, and community outreach running in parallel.