Badal hiding govt failures on drug abuse: Bhattal
Thursday, 02/07/2015
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
CONG LEADER CLAIMS THAT AKALIS’ ALLY BJP IS MORE INTERESTED SHEDDING CROCODILE TEARS
SANGRUR: Reacting to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s remarks that targeting Punjab over the extent of drug abuse is unfair, Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal claimed in a press release issued here that it was noting but an attempt to hide the state government’s failure to tackle the issue effectively.
She said the Badal government could not escape the responsibility for failing to combat the growing drug menace in the state. “Chief minister is avoiding the issue by stating that Punjab falls on the transit route of drugs being smuggled from across the border,” she added.
She referred to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) latest figures that reflect no drop in the drug menace in Punjab, state that has registered 50% of the total drug-related cases in the country. “The NCB claims that of 30,000 cases of drug peddling registered in the country, 15,000 are from Punjab. The present regime in Punjab lacks the will and the vision to tackle the problem,” said Bhattal.
The former CM said the youth of the state needed sustainable opportunities and congenial atmosphere to find work to be able to channelise their energy in a positive direction. “The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), which is an ally of the Akalis in the state’s ruling alliance, is more interested shedding crocodile tears than doing anything to combat drug menace,” she alleged.
The Congress leader claimed that the people of Punjab had lost the faith in the Badal government, since law and order had collapsed in the state and common man was worried about security.
