Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Saturday that drug abuse in the state is almost gone. He encouraged people still using drugs to leave the habit and rebuild their lives.
His statement came just days after Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav gave a deadline of May 31 to arrest all drug traffickers in the state.
Cheema asked village defence committees to watch out for drug peddling and support addicts in getting treatment. He blamed the earlier governments for not taking strong action and said they were focused more on family politics.
Cheema said that under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, drug addiction has almost ended. He praised the public for their support in the campaign and urged everyone to help addicts recover by contacting the district administration and police for proper help.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh announced that the government will start “Nasha Mukti Yatras” (Drug-Free Marches) across Punjab from May 7. The goal is to involve more people in the fight against drugs.
At a district meeting in Mohali, he said the government is working in two ways — catching drug dealers and helping addicts by teaching them skills and giving financial help.
He also said police have been seizing large amounts of drugs and the Health Department has improved the number of beds in de-addiction centres to 5,000. With help from NGOs, they’ve also started skill training for recovering addicts.
MP Malvinder Singh Kang asked people to report anyone selling drugs to the police.
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