Reeling under the deadly menace of drug addiction across the State, Punjab Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to work towards combating the problem.
A concerned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has also maintained that he would meet PM Manmohan Singh to check cross border smuggling of poppy husk from Rajasthan into the State. He had raised the issue of cross-border smuggling from Rajasthan to Punjab earlier too. He would seek PM’s intervention in unlawful activity where it is openly sold like other essential commodities.
The MoU, to tackle drug problem in Punjab, was signed by the Regional Representative of UNODC Cristina Albertin, and Principal Secretary (Home Affairs and Justice) DS Bains. CM said that his Government is fully committed to launch a war against drug addiction, and sought serious involvement of UNODC. Badal asked the representatives of UNODC to adopt a comprehensive approach focusing on all aspects related to drug abuse in sync with the State Government to evolve a result oriented action plan.
Stating the purpose and objective of the MoU, Albertin apprised the Chief Minister that it primarily aimed at facilitating and establishing a framework between the state government and UNODC in common and mutually agreed areas of activity in drug control.