Chandigarh, July 15:
Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond today launched a scathing attack on previous governments during a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, accusing them of promoting drug abuse and protecting drug traffickers in the state.
Participating in a discussion on the issue of drugs, Sond alleged that both the Akali-BJP alliance and the Congress governments had actively supported drug peddlers, resulting in widespread addiction among the state’s youth. He read out excerpts from media reports highlighting the busting of an illicit liquor factory in Khanna and the arrest of a notorious drug dealer, Gurdeep Rano, from the Payal constituency, presenting them as concrete evidence of past governments’ complicity.
“Before 2007, synthetic drugs were unheard of in Punjab. But thereafter, substances like ‘chitta’ infiltrated and devastated an entire generation,” Sond remarked. “One former Chief Minister even took a false oath to eliminate drugs but did absolutely nothing to act on it,” he added.
Sond said that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, the government has launched a full-scale ‘Yudh Nashiyan Virudh’ which is yielding positive results. “We have dismantled the networks of drug traffickers, many of whom are now fleeing the state,” he asserted.
He informed the House that under this campaign, anti-drug camps have been organized in nearly 7,000 villages, where thousands have taken pledges to quit drugs. Over 4,500 villages have already declared themselves drug-free, and the campaign will now expand into urban wards with awareness camps to reach every corner of the state.
To safeguard the future of the youth and keep them engaged in healthy activities, Sond announced that the government will dedicate over 3,000 new sports grounds to the public within the next six months. “Each of Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies will have a model sports complex to ensure boys and girls have access to safe recreational spaces,” he said. “These grounds will also be open for citizens for morning and evening walks.”
Sond concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to transforming the state into a ‘Rangla Punjab’, stating that all MLAs, ministers, and volunteers of the Mann government and AAP are working tirelessly, and the day is not far when Punjab will be completely drugs free.
