No fresh case of drug addiction in Punjab: Badal

Claiming that no fresh case of drug addiction has came to fore in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday gave credit to the “untiring efforts of the State Government”.Badal, speaking during the State-level function to observe International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, reiterated the State Government’s firm commitment to make Punjab a totally drug-free State.

“Some forces inimical to the State has unleashed a malicious campaign to tarnish its image by labelling the hard working Punjabis as drug addicts. All surveys and projections regarding much-hyped drug addiction in the state are redundant…Due to massive steps undertaken by the State Government the problem has been eliminated from the state,” claimed Badal. He said that the problem of drugs in the State is “totally under control” and our efforts have fructified as no new case of drug addiction has come to fore now.

Terming the drug menace as global problem, Badal said that the fact that this day was observed across the world reflects that each and every country was facing this problem. “Punjab is on the transit route of drugs supplied from across the border so it is fighting national war against this menace due to which it is being defamed,” he said.

The seizure of drugs by the state agencies was the highest as they have cracked down on drug peddlers by cutting its supply line, he added.Badal urged the Union Social Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, present on the occasion, to impress upon the Centre for evolving a fool proof mechanism for checking the drug peddling from across the international borders.

“Efforts must be initiated by the Centre to tell the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and others to ban poppy husk in their states as its smuggling in the state is creating havoc,” said Badal while asking the Centre to ensure that medicine used for manufacturing synthetic drugs in the country was also banned.

Badal also listed out government’s initiatives to check the drug problem including setting up of Punjab State Board for De-addiction and Rehabilitation, special corpus fund to tackle the menace, networks of drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centers to detoxifying drugs addicts and imparting them skill training.

CENTRE GIVING FUlSOME SUPPORT TO PUNJAB, says GEHlOT

lauding Badal’s concern to make Punjab a totally drug free state, the Union Social Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said that the Centre was giving fulsome support and cooperation to the state government for tackling this menace.

“Centre has given nod to establish 28 drug de-addiction centers in the state with the support of Punjab Government. It would support every endeavour of Punjab government to ensure that drugs are completely wiped out from the State,” he said.

FAMIlY, SOCIETY, GOVT SHOUlD JOIN HANDS TO TACKlE DRUG MENACE: SAMPlA

Union Minister of State for Social Empowerment and Justice Vijay Sampla, during his address, said that elimination of drugs menace was a prime concern and responsibility of every individual.

“The family, society and the Government needs to join hands for tackling this menace…Centre would back any initiative on part of the state government to tackle this menace,” said Sampla while also listing the initiatives taken by the Centre to tackle this curse in the country in general and state in particular.

Earlier, Badal and Gehlot inaugurated the newly-constructed drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre at Hoshiarpur.