To end drug menace, govt must ban liquor sale as well: Jakhar

Tuesday, 27/06/2017

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Patiala : Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Monday stated that the fight against the drug menace has entered into a crucial phase and it needs the due support of the common people as well.

Jakhar was here to preside over a meeting called by the party’s anti-narcotics cell’s chairman Ranjit Singh Nikraa on the eve of International Anti-drugs Day here.

He further said that the state government led by the Congress has made a commitment to the state people to end up with the drugs problems and so far it comes forward with good results and the command was entrusted to the Special Task Force (STF), which so far performed well.

Talking to media persons, he even suggested that if finally, they wanted to end drugs menace so in his opinion, the state government must go in for even banning the sale of the liquor, if possible. He said that the drugs had weakened our younger generations and pushed the sword of the country, the Sikhs, to a darker corner.

Lashing against the previous government led by SAD-BJP, he said that the Akalis have looted the poor people of the state by encouraging the drugs flow in the state and minted money and while doing so they failed to keep in mind the younger generation of the state. He alleged that the Akalis were responsible for encroaching upon the properties of the people besides they also tried to capture the business of the state into their hands.

Continuing with his tirade against the Akalis, he further stated that now with only intention to hide their wrongdoings, the SAD enacted a high-level drama in Vidhan Sabha and disrupted its proceedings. Going a step further, he stated that the Akalis used AAP for its political goals and the immature AAP walked into its trap. But he claimed that the Congress-led government had presented a pro-people budget as no fresh tax has been imposed on the people.

Comparing the Capt Amarinder Singh government’s working of 100 days with Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s working of 1,000 days he said that the state government comes out with flying colours whereas Modi government failed to deliver end results.

Jakhar said that the state government’s decision to abolish the truck unions was also taken in right perception as it goes in favour of traders and truck operators and claimed that the truck unions have been released from the clutches of the Akali supporters. He also said that the government also handled safely the procurement of the Wheat crop from its mandis and the people are happy with it.

Meanwhile, he urged the party cadre to fan out along with the achievements of the state government in every nook and corner of the state so that the people will come to know about what the government has done in its 100 days small time.

international anti-drug day

War against drugs to continue: Mohindra

Patiala : State Health Minister Brahm Mohindra on Monday announced that the ongoing war against drugs in the state will continue till the achievement of the end result.

Mohindra made this announcement while addressing the state-level function to celebrate the International Anti-Drugs day here.

He said that the problem of the drugs was gifted to the state none other than the previous SAD-BJP-led government as it minted money for its men by encouraging the drugs in the state. Lashing against the SAD-BJP, he said that with the patronage of the leaders drugs like Chitta, synthetic drugs and medical drugs entered the state and grabbed the young generations in its fold and later ruined most of them.

The Health Minister with misty eyes stated that the drug menace has taken so many lives in the state and many sisters, many parents and many wives lost their near and dear ones. He said that but during last one decade, SAD-BJP did nothing to discourage this trend and used all means to mint money out of it and never bothered about the precious lives of the people.

Turning towards the performance of the Captain Amarinder Singh-led state government, he claimed that well before the elections Chief Minister had committed with the state people for the eradication of the drugs menace from the state as early as possible and he honoured his commitment soon after taking the reins of the state and set up a Special Task Force (STF) to work against it. He said that so far the anti-drug campaign of the state government has come forward with good results.

Mohindra further said that in 2016 a total of one lakh 49,409 patients had reported at OPDs in the state for drugs but in comparison in two months of the current year, only 27,360 patients have reported in the OPDs for drug abuse and it shows where they stood and it’s the result of the tight campaign launched by the state government. He said that but it will take time as the government’s thrust not to put the people unnecessarily behind the bars or harass them but it wants to adopt a motivational method so that those adopted the wrong path may be brought again into the mainstream. He also urged the people to help such people to join the deaddiction centers so that they come over their problem as early as possible.

STF chief seeks support

Speaking on this occasion Special Task Team (STF)’s chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu claimed that through their efforts now the backbone of the drug peddlers has been broken and further STF is tightening its grip over the drug trade. He said that shortly the STF was going to provide some good results. But he also exhorted the people to come forward with a pledge to support this campaign as the state government is trying to bring the state out of the quagmire of drugs.