The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is planning a massive crackdown against drugs and has vowed to eradicate this issue from the state within three months. The deadline was finalized on Friday after CM Mann held a meeting with senior officials to chalk out a strategy to fight the issue.
Echoing his election promise to make Punjab a drug-free state, Mann said the government will set up special courts that will ensure speedy trials in drug cases and convictions of those found guilty. These steps come from the Punjab CM in a bid to give a renewed push to the state’s anti-drug campaign. The meeting was held a day after a five-member sub-committee of Cabinet ministers was formed to monitor the ongoing drive against the drug menace in the state.
The sub-committee — headed by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and comprising state ministers Aman Arora, Balbir Singh, Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Tarunpreet Singh Sond—has been tasked with overseeing the measures taken by the police and the health department to tackle the menace of drugs and implement de-addiction programmes.
The meeting, which was held on Friday, was attended by deputy commissioners, senior superintendents, and commissioners of police from across the state. Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, and the members of the sub-committee were also present. According to an official statement, Mann said that preventive measures should be taken in schools and colleges so that the youth do not fall prey to the scourge of drugs.
The education department will take necessary steps to introduce courses detailing the downside of drug addiction, Mann said. The chief minister also said the supply lines should be snapped, and drug sellers should be put behind bars. The state government will ensure that the drug peddlers and their families do not get any subsidy or free power and water so that it acts as a deterrent, Mann said.
Exhorting that the war against drugs should be transformed into a mass campaign, Mann asked the officials to plan bigger actions. CM Mann also stated that the property of those convicted in drug cases should be seized with immediate effect.
Taking part in deliberations in a meeting with Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police, the Chief Minister said that this is a historic moment as the state government has adopted zero tolerance policy against drugs and is launching a crusade against this menace.
He said that the Punjab Police has a long and glorious history of tackling hostile law and order situations adding he expressed hope that the Police will uphold its glorious tradition and make the state completely drug-free with the active support and cooperation of the general public.
The Chief Minister said that there is no dearth of funds for this and assured fulsome support and cooperation to the Police and civil administration for this noble cause. He said that preventive measures should be taken in schools and colleges so that youth don’t fall prey to the scourge of drugs.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the supply line of drugs should be snapped and those selling the drugs should be put behind bars adding he said that the state government will also ensure that the drug peddlers and their families do not get any sort of subsidy in terms of free power, water and others by the government so that it acts as a deterrent for the criminals.
He said that the necessary formalities regarding it will be finalized soon adding that if any further amendment in the NDPS act, to ensure exemplary action drug peddlers, will be required they will be flagged with the Union government.
He further stated that the war against drugs should be transformed into a mass and social campaign for which the officers must plan a big action. Citing the example of Narangwal village where the illegal property of a drug smuggler was razed on Thursday evening, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a library will be constructed over the Shamlat land where the house was razed.
As a part of the major strategy, Mann also stated that the place from where drugs were sold would be transformed into a place of knowledge sharing to make the youth aware of the drug menace. He assured the field officers that they would not face any sort of problem in giving a severe blow to the the drug menace.
Mann said that the war against drugs has to be won by planning and execution at the micro level, for which the officers have to play a proactive role. He said that the state government is already making concerted efforts to channel the unbounded energy of youth positively.
The Chief Minister asked the police officers, including the Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), that within three months there should be no availability of drugs, and after a month, an evaluation of each SSP would be made on progress in the anti-drug programme in the district, adding that all the officers will be accountable and action will be taken against non-performers.
He said that registration of cases should be done against drug traffickers, adding that ANTF has already supplied the list for this. Bhagwant Singh Mann asked the officers to ensure that bails of arrested accused in big/intermediate quantity cases are opposed tooth and nail.
During the meeting, the CM also batted for the timely submission of challans in NDPS cases along with the on-time submission of chemical reports in NDPS cases. He said that comprehensive inquiry and action in all cases of drug overdose deaths in a district should be undertaken. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that intensive checking of vehicles to prevent the ferrying of drugs both during the day and night should be ensured.
The Chief Minister further asked the CPs and SSPs that the identification of the drug hotspots should be done vehemently and the CASO Operation should be done every fortnight by senior officers in every hotspot area and the jails every week. He also said that extensive domination drive day and night (24×7) should be carried out in hotspot areas with a focus on recoveries of narcotics. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that if any drug smuggler misbehaves with the police, then it should be dealt with very severely.
He asked the Deputy Commissioners, CPs, and SSPs to work in tandem with each other to implement de-addiction and prevention strategies. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to inspect all the de-addiction, rehabilitation, and OOAT Centers both government and private, regularly. He said that these centres must be equipped with Adequate Manpower (Including Psychiatrist, Counselor and others) and infrastructure, including Testing Kits, Medicines, Security (Security Staff / CCTVs), Hygiene and others.
Bhagwant Mann said that DCs should prepare for exigencies that may arise due to increased patient lead and ensure regular checking of chemist shops.
