Aam Aadmi Party's State Chief Spokesperson, MLA and former Minister, S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, said that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann launched the "War Against Drugs" campaign to eradicate the menace of drugs and build a vibrant Punjab, and that this campaign has now evolved into a mass awareness movement with widespread public participation.
He said that, with the support of peace-loving citizens, social workers and 1.25 lakh members of the Rural Defence Committees constituted by the state government, hundreds of drug traffickers have been arrested. More than 2,700 kilograms of heroin, ice drug and other synthetic narcotics have been recovered. Historic achievements have also been made by demolishing the properties of drug smugglers, confiscating assets built from drug money and seizing drug proceeds worth crores of rupees.
Dhaliwal was addressing the government-organized anti-drug pledge and awareness programme at Ajnala today as the chief guest. The programme was held under the chairmanship of SDM Ajnala Ms. Charumita, DSP Gurdeep Singh and BDPO Sitara Singh Virk. A large number of in-charges of Rural Defence Committees from 183 villages of the Ajnala constituency, members of Urban Defence Committees from Ajnala and Ramdas, councillors, former councillors and representatives of anti-drug social organizations participated in the event.
Dhaliwal categorically announced that the Punjab Government's "War Against Drugs" campaign would continue until Punjab becomes completely drug-free. He called upon the members of rural and urban defence committees and anti-drug organizations to actively participate in the movement and play a historic role in creating a healthy and drug-free Punjab by acting as vigilant guardians in villages and urban wards.
He also held the BJP-led Central Government responsible for the spread of drugs in Punjab, alleging that it has continued to discriminate against the border state. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had submitted proposals to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Ministry of External Affairs and other central ministries for sealing the 533-kilometre India-Pakistan international border to curb cross-border smuggling of drugs and deadly weapons through drones from Pakistan.
However, these proposals have allegedly either been buried under files or ignored. Dhaliwal further stated that the Punjab Government, from its own resources, has spent ₹52 crore to install anti-drone systems at three sensitive locations along the international border to counter drug smuggling through drones originating from Pakistan.
At the conclusion of the programme, anti-drug social activists and members of Rural Defence Committees were administered a collective pledge by the administration to provide truthful information against drug traffickers and to motivate drug addicts to seek treatment and take them to government de-addiction centres.