Youth urged to shun drugs, cycle yatra flagged off in Tirupati

District Collector S. Venkateswar on Monday (April 6, 2026) flagged off a cycle yatra, ‘Dandi March 2.0 – Drug free Andhra Pradesh Mission,’ from Tirupati to Visakhapatnam.

The event was organised at Sri Venkateswara University auditorium by Tirupati district police in collaboration with the Police Department’s Elite Anti Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) and NGO Vibrants of Kalam. Inspector-General of Police (EAGLE) Ake Ravikrishna virtually participated in the event.

Reiterating “drugs vaddhu bro,” the State government’s outreach call urging youth to stay away from drugs, Mr. Venkateswar said that the responsibility of keeping drugs out of society’s reach rests as much with the youth as with the State police wing.

“Drugs have not only wreaked havoc on the economy of several nations, but have also enslaved the youth, considered the future citizens, by turning them powerless and incapacitated,” Mr. Venkateswar noted.

Superintendent of Police L. Subbarayudu pointed out that tough vigil on Dandakaranya region has almost eradicated ganja cultivation. “Preventive Detention (PD) Act will be slapped on drug peddlers if found to be involved in the menace,” he warned.

Joint Collector R. Govinda Rao, Superintendent of Police (Admin – EAGLE) K. Nagesh Babu called upon the youth to maintain a drug-free lifestyle, while Vice-Chancellors Prof. Tata Narasinga Rao (SVU) and Prof. Uma Vennam (Sri Padmavati Women’s University) vowed to keep their respective campuses clean of the menace.

1.15 lakh students participated online in the awareness programme. Revenue Divisional Officer A. Rammohan, SVU Registrar M. Bhupathi Naidu, Additional Superintendents of Police K. Ravi Manoharachari (Tirupati) and ‘Vibrants of Kalam’ founder Dandi Vijay Kalam took part.