Showing concern over the rising number of deaths due to drug overdose, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday urged the Congress government to act firmly to curb the menace of drugs and simultaneously create employment opportunities for the youth. "Increased incidence of drug addiction and unemployment are creating havoc in society. The latest revelation showing the role of some police officials in pushing our jobless youths into drugs was a very disturbing trend which must be nipped in the bud," said SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra.
He said that it also revealed the strong connection between unemployment and drug abuse in the state. “The government needs to adopt a multi-dimensional strategy to eradicate the scourge of drugs as well as unemployment. People from all walks of life are joining hands for the common cause of saving our future generations from the tentacles of drugs. The government should also act in this regard," he said.
Making a scathing attack on the Congress government for reneging from its promise of giving a job to every household in the state, the SAD leader said that one and half year had passed since the Congress government took over the reins of the state, but not even a single job was given to any youth in Punjab.
Asking the state government to take exemplary action against police officials found guilty of pushing jobless Punjabi youths into drugs on the pretext of providing them government jobs as well as the guilty of providing a safe passage to drug smugglers and abetting their activities across the state, Chandumajra said that no leniency should be shown towards these black sheep in the police force.
Urging the Congress Government to take concrete steps to solve the problem of unemployment in the state which was proving to be the root cause of pushing the Punjabi youths into the drugs, the SAD leader said that the government should fulfill its ‘ghar ghar naukari’ promise to save more Punjabi youths from falling into the trap of drugs.
He added that the government should not let bad elements to manipulate jobless youths with allurement of jobs or easy money.