DW BUREAU / Chandigarh/Sangrur

Punjab Finance Minister and chairman of 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' Cabinet Sub-Committee committee Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, today, presided over Village Defence Committee meeting organised here at Sunrise Palace by Sangrur District Administration. Cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that Bhagwant Singh Mann is the first CM who has taken concrete steps to stop drug trafficking and save Punjab's waters as well. He added that the state is waging war against drugs and traffickers have been given clear warning that they should stop drug peddling, else they will have to leave the state.

Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that apart from demolishing houses of drug peddlers constructed with drug money, their government has assured stern action against them. He said that under 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, as many as 240 cases have been registered under NDPS and 332 arrests have been made apart from the recovery of drug money of around 9.20 lakh rupees in Sangrur district. He said that along with the police action, their government has formed Village level and Ward level Defence Committees and these VDCs and WDCs will play key role to eradicate drugs from villages and cities as well. He said that VDC and WDC members will keep strict vigil in their respective areas and immediately inform police and administrative officers about any drug abuse. He added that apart from this, they will also assist the drug addict patients to get them treated from the drug de-addiction centres and motive them to shun the tag of drugs addicts and join mainstream society.

Meanwhile, cabinet minister Barinder Goyal also motivated VDC and WDC members to actively engage in 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign of Punjab government. He said that their government has been working day in and day out to wipe out drug trafficking out of Punjab and stern action was being taken against the smugglers. He added that now no one is there to receive drugs from drones on borders in Punjab as drug peddlers have already fled to other states by putting locks on their homes. He said that around 60 houses of drug peddlers have already been razed by their government which were built by them with drug money.

(editor@dailyworld.in)