Chandigarh, June 26:
Punjab government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday commemorated the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by taking a historic step to intensify the fight against drugs with signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit.
The MoU was signed between the Government of Punjab and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali, and Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health, Amritsar, in collaboration with the Ananya Birla Foundation.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that this initiative is part of the ongoing war against drugs being led by the Punjab Government adding that this unique initiative by the Punjab Government to establish the Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit marks a significant step in combating the drug menace in the state. He said that this MoU is part of the broader efforts by the Punjab Government for drug prevention and rehabilitation. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Yudh Nasheyan Virudh has snapped the supply line of drugs adding that once this is disrupted, rehabilitating the affected individuals becomes extremely crucial.
The Chief Minister said that to support individuals in overcoming addiction and help them live a life of dignity, the government is not only establishing rehabilitation centres equipped with various facilities, but also providing medical care, education, and employment opportunities, to prevent relapse into drug use. He said that in the second phase of the anti-drug campaign, a comprehensive model of psychosocial care is being implemented through the Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this Unit will technically assist the anti-drug campaign by enhancing the capacity of medical officers, psychologists, police personnel, and frontline health workers.
The Chief Minister said that the unit will also focus on developing effective strategies to tackle rehabilitation challenges, ensure the smooth functioning of OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) clinics, and strengthen outreach efforts to the community. He envisioned that this Unit will play a crucial role in making Punjab a drug-free state adding that the Centralized Intelligence Unit will provide concrete data on de-addiction, rehabilitation, and OOAT patients, helping in designing and implementing informed policies. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that experts from institutions like AIIMS’ National Drug Treatment Centre, IIT Ropar, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and PGI Chandigarh will provide timely support to this Unit.
The Chief Minister said that this Unit will work collaboratively with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Punjab Police, Health Department, Employment Generation, Skill Development, and Training Departments, as well as organizations and academic institutions related to mental health, rehabilitation, and data science. He said that it is heartening to learn that the Ananya Birla Foundation (ABF) will provide support for the technical capabilities and resources of this Unit. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this program will operate on a Hub and Spoke Model, based on a Centralized Technical Unit, where five medical colleges in Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Faridkot, and Mohali will act as Cluster Resource Centres.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has embarked a war against the menace of drugs and corruption adding that this drive can be successful only with the proactive support and cooperation of the people. He said that this is the fight for coming generations and cannot be won without the support of the common man. Bhagwant Singh Mann exhorted the people to extend wholehearted support for this noble cause so that Punjab can be made a progressive and frontrunner state in the country.
The Chief Minister said that war against drugs has transformed into a mass movement for which people should work hard. He said that it is pivotal to make Punjab a drug free state adding that it is the fight for the coming generations and it is the moral duty of everyone to support it. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this fight will continue till the curse of drugs is not wiped out.
The Chief Minister said that the bulldozer drive to demolish the properties of the drug smugglers will be continued till logical conclusion. He said that the action is being taken as per the law of land and it is aimed at ensuring that drug trade is dealt a fatal blow. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this action will be further intensified so as to ensure that the drug is completely wiped out from the state.
Soliciting fulsome support and cooperation of people in the war against drugs, the Chief Minister said that the scourge of drugs was a blot on the face of state and it took more than two years for the state government to chalk out a strategy for wiping out this curse. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that subsequently the supply line of drugs was snapped, big fishes involved in these heinous crimes were put behind the bars, rehabilitation of the drug victims was ensured and even the property of the drug smugglers was confiscated and destroyed. He said that now the state government has launched a war against drugs in the form of Yudh Nasheyan Virudh the aim of which is to clean the state.
The Chief Minister also thanked the founder of the Ananya Birla Foundation Ananya Birla for this noble gesture to join hands with the state government.
