Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to the Opposition leaders to join hands with the Government to root out the drugs menace from the State, while warning those involved in the drugs business, whether outside or within the government, of stringent punitive action if they continue to engage themselves.Summing up and replying to the debate on the Governor’s address in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday, the Chief Minister warned all those involved in the drugs business to quit and live as normal citizens, failing which “the long arm of the law will catch and fix them without hesitation.”Most of the drug traffickers have either left the state or they have become dormant, having lost the patronage of the Government enjoyed by them during the previous regime, the Chief Minister pointed out, while reaffirming his government’s commitment to zero tolerance for smugglers, dealers, police and civil officials, politicians and other persons who indulge in drug trafficking.
“We may be late, but surely drugs will be obliterated from Punjab's horizon,” Captain Amarinder declared.Elaborating on the work being done by the Special Task Force (STF) set up by his government to deal with the problem, he informed the House that till 13th June, 2017, the STF, along with the police, had registered 3845 cases under NDPS Act. In addition, 4438 persons, including some police officials who were abetting such activities, had been arrested. He cited the examples of Inspector Inderjit Singh and ASI Ajaib Singh, who had been arrested for complicity in drugs cases. The Chief Minister further disclosed that 58 kg heroin had been recovered, besides other banned substances.The government has broken the back of the drug-smugglers, and checked nexus between smugglers, police and other persons in power, besides ending the official patronage which these people were enjoying under the previous government, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister further disclosed that an early assessment of the All India Association of Pharmaceutical Companies had indicated that supplies of Schedule-H drugs/ prescription drugs, which were misused in the state to produce synthetic drugs, has gone down by 40% during the last three months.He, however, added that these positive results did not make him complacent but reflected his government’s determination not to allow comfortable living and support to drug traffickers and peddlers, as done by the previous Government. All those who are involved or abetting this nefarious business will be brought to book, whether outside or within the government set-up, he warned.Noting the failure of the drug de-addiction centers established by the previous government with an expenditure of over Rs. 200 crore, Captain Amarinder said his government proposed to create a mass campaign against drug abuse and trafficking, and bring drug traffickers to justice. “They have no right to play with the lives of our youth and we shall not tolerate them at any cost,” he warned.