Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police has launched the ‘PODA’ (Prevention of Drug Abuse) project with support from the private sector to tackle drug abuse.

The initiative is being introduced in its first phase across institutions under Young Indians, a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-affiliated organisation representing professionals below 40 years of age.

Speaking at the press conference, State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar said that around 1,100 young employees from 21 companies associated with Young Indians will be covered under the project.

As part of the programme, employees will be required to submit a written undertaking at the time of joining, pledging to stay away from drugs. They will also have to provide consent for drug testing during the course of their employment, with disciplinary action, including termination, to be initiated if drug use is detected through such tests.

Through the initiative, the private sector can position itself as a model for corporate-driven drug prevention efforts. This approach is expected to motivate the IT sector and other private institutions to adopt similar measures. The police chief said the project would also be extended to government institutions after securing approval from the government.

The police chief said that 30,991 cases were registered this year under the D Hunt special drive aimed at checking the spread of drugs. Of these, 349 cases involved the seizure of commercial quantities. He said 957 cases related to the seizure of medium quantities, while 7,718 cases involved small quantities. ADGP H. Venkatesh, IG South Zone S. Shyamsundar, DIG Ajitha Begum and other senior officials attended the event.