The Fact News Service
Chandigarh/ Jalandhar, March 6
With an aim to make the Jalandhar a drug-free district, Punjab Cabinet Minister and the state president of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Aman Arora, on Thursday, has devised a foolproof roadmap under the Punjab Government’s anti-drug drive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’. He ordered the district Police to go onslaught against the drug-traffickers and anyone found indulged in drugs should not be spared, regardless his position and political affiliation.
Aman Arora, a member of 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee formed to combat the drug menace, reviewed the steps and actions taken by Jalandhar district civil and police authorities to completely eliminate the drugs from the district.
Aman Arora, along with Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat, MLAs Raman Arora, Balkar Singh and Inderjit Kaur Mann, meticulously examined the actions taken against the drug peddling. Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar Ms. Dhanpreet Kaur apprised Arora that the Jalandhar Police had made significant drug recoveries and arrests in the past year. The Commissionerate Police registered 207 cases and arrested 431 individuals, while the Jalandhar Rural Police arrested 589 offenders along with massive recoveries and registered 372 cases.
While asking the police to dismantle the street-level drug supply chains, Aman Arora emphasized a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the drug menace. He stressed the importance of coordinated & collective efforts across all departments to create a foolproof mechanism against drug menace.
He also directed the district authorities to focus on habitual offenders, while further strengthening search operations in drug hotspots, and identify and seize the properties of drug traffickers. He reiterated that police have been given a free hand to act against drug networks, ensuring no offender is spared.
In addition to strict law enforcement, the Cabinet Minister highlighted the importance of rehabilitating drug-affected youth. He directed the health department to ramp up facilities at de-addiction centers to accommodate more patients in view of ongoing war against drugs. He noted that Jalandhar currently has 25 OOAT clinics with 19,753 registered patients, and efforts are being made to further improve infrastructure and treatment facilities.
Aman Arora said that the state government has made a comprehensive 360-degree action plan to make the state drug-free completely, while directing the civil administration to help drug affected persons by offering different skill development courses so that they can return to mainstream life. He said that drug users should be treated with empathy and compassion and asked the Anganwadi and ASHA workers to identify drug-affected persons at the grassroots level to facilitate proper medical care.
Calling for inclusive and collective efforts to form a united front against drugs, Aman Arora urged citizens from all walks of life to join the fight against drugs. He encouraged people to report drug dealers to police, ensuring swift and strict action. Addressing the media, he emphasized that ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ is a war against drugs, requiring collective efforts from political parties, NGOs, and the public to restore Punjab’s pristine glory.
He also warned the drug traffickers, “Either quit drug trafficking or leave Punjab, as the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is determined to eliminate drugs from the state.”
Punjab is mulling to procure cutting-edge anti-drone technology to curb cross-border drug and arm smuggling, Aman Arora said, while reaffirming the state government’s commitment to ending the menace.
Mayor Vineet Dhir, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal, Chairman District Planning Committee Amritpal Singh, Chairperson Improvement Trust Jalandhar Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, Senior AAP Leaders Pawan Kumar Tinu, Dinesh Dhall, Jeet Lal Bhatti, Principal Prem Kumar, Stephen Kaler, and senior officials of various departments were also present in the meeting.
