Kottayam: Police in Pandalam, Pathanamthitta, have turned to a community hall in a unique attempt to tackle the societal ill of substance abuse.
As part of Operation Toofan 2.0, Pandalam Janamaithri Police have turned the Janamaithri community hall next to Pandalam police station into a chess academy — an attempt to draw youngsters away from the clutches of drugs.
The idea, police said, is to complement the continued strict legal action against the drug mafia with efforts to turn young people into anti-drug campaigners. Functioning in cooperation with Pathanamthitta District Chess Association, Janamaithri Police Chess Academy (JPCA) has already started a series of programmes aimed at teenagers and young people. The initiative falls under the banner ‘Youth to Sports against Drugs‘. The academy follows a directive from Pathanamthitta district police chief R Anand, to devise public schemes to raise awareness in society against the drug menace. Four chess classes a month will be held at the Janamaithri hall.