Under the Punjab Government’s “War Against Drugs” initiative, Cabinet Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Industry and Commerce, Investment Promotion, Labour, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, convened a special meeting with civil and police officials of Fatehgarh Sahib district at Bachat Bhawan today.
During the meeting, Minister Sond asserted that drug traffickers have no place in Punjab as they are harming the youth. He instructed officials to develop a comprehensive master plan to eliminate drugs from Fatehgarh Sahib, known as the land of martyrs. Additionally, he emphasized the need for an extensive awareness campaign in schools and colleges to educate students on the dangers of drug abuse, ensuring a safer future for the next generation. He also directed the launch of a district-level drug helpline for public assistance.
Prior to the meeting, Minister Sond visited Gurdwara Sahib, offering prayers for the success of the anti-drug campaign.
Addressing the media afterward, he highlighted that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, the Punjab Government has arrested over 6,500 major and 45,000 minor drug traffickers in the past three years, registering more than 30,000 cases under the NDPS Act since 2022. To dismantle any nexus between police officials and drug traffickers, over 10,000 police personnel have been transferred.
He further revealed that the current administration has confiscated ₹612 crore worth of drug traffickers’ assets, significantly higher than the ₹142 crore seized by previous governments. Additionally, 1,128 kg of heroin has been recovered so far, compared to just 197 kg seized during the previous government’s tenure.
Minister Sond criticized past governments for their failure in controlling drug proliferation and even facilitating its spread. He assured that to combat drug smuggling from Pakistan, the Punjab Government would coordinate with senior BSF officials to dismantle trafficking networks.
He urged district officials to consider drug eradication as their social responsibility and assured them of complete government support. Encouraging fearless action against drug traffickers, he also directed village panchayats to be actively involved in the mission and emphasized spreading awareness among people, ensuring that those reporting drug activities would have their identities kept confidential.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Advocate Lakhbir Singh Rai (Fatehgarh Sahib), Rupinder Singh Happy (Bassi Pathana), and Gurinder Singh Gary Baring (Amloh), along with Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sona Thind, SSP Shubham Agarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Surinder Singh Dhaliwal, SP (D) Rakesh Yadav, SDM Amloh Chetan Bangar, SDM Bassi Pathana Harbir Kaur, SDM Khamano Manreet Rana, and officials from various departments.