Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday exhorted common people, especially youths, to play a proactive role to eradicate drug menace from the State.
Badal, speaking at a Sangat Darshan programme in Talwandi Sabo Assembly segment, said that the drug menace was one of the biggest challenges confronted by the state these days.
“Though the State Government has already declared a war against drugs, it could achieve the desired goal only through active support and cooperation from the public,” he said.
Badal said that youth were the biggest asset of the State and the need-of-the-hour was to channelise their unbounded energy into constructive works. Equating drug addiction with a sort of disease, the Chief Minister said that it was very easy to overcome it if one has strong will.
He said that his Government has initiated a massive drug de-addiction drive by opening centres across Punjab, where addicted youths were given free medicines.
Badal impressed upon the parents of addicted youths to come forward for their treatment so that desirable results of the drive could be achieved. “We are committed to tackle the grave problem of drugs in the state for which the active support of every strata of society is required,” he said.
Meanwhile, the CM categorically said that the state government would not allow forfeiting of land of any farmer, who has failed to repay bank loans. He said that this matter would be resolved very soon.
Badal also urged the people not to get swayed by politics of “hollow slogans” being persuaded by some political parties. “Some people are misleading public by unleashing negative propaganda against the state government but the days of such politics are numbered,” he said.
Slamming the Congress party, Badal said that successive governments led by the party at the Centre had meted out step-motherly treatment towards Punjab, and “the era of discrimination has ended with its rout in just-concluded lok Sabha elections”.