Centre calls for proposals to set up de-addiction centres in 291 ‘gap’ districts

Government invites proposals for District De-Addiction Centres in 291 "gap" districts to address substance abuse nationwide.

The Union government has invited proposals to set up District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs) in 291 “gap” districts identified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment across 30 States and Union Territories in the country as part of its National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.

“Gap” districts have been identified as those that currently have no Centrally supported infrastructure to treat or rehabilitate people who are dealing with substance abuse or dependence, officials told The Hindu.  

The Social Justice Ministry is also preparing to launch a fresh round of a nationwide survey to establish the extent and pattern of substance use across India, which is expected to gather data at the district level.  

The government’s national action plan provides for the Social Justice Ministry to support Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), Community-based Peer Led Initiatives (CPLIs), Outreach and Drop-in Centres (ODICs), and DDACs.  

The Social Justice Ministry told Parliament this April that it is supporting 350 IRCAs, 74 ODICs, 46 CPLIs, and 124 DDACs. Apart from this, the Ministry is also supporting 142 addiction treatment facilities running from government hospitals.  

“These [291] districts are ones where currently no IRCA, CPLI, or ODIC supported by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment are running. So, as a start, the government is calling for DDAC proposals for these gap districts, which will also serve the functions of these interventions,” a government official said.

In addition to administrative and office space for the staff, each DDAC is supposed to house a treatment cum rehabilitation centre, an area for drop-in centre facilities, and an area for CPLI facilities. The DDACs can have the capacity to house 15 or 30 patients at a time, with specific norms of minimum requirements prescribed for them.