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2-day visit to border villages: Drugs available like grocery items at general stores: Punjab Guv
Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday called drug menace a major concern for the state, saying whenever he goes to villages, people say drugs are available like grocery items at general stores.
AMRITSAR
Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday called drug menace a major concern for the state, saying whenever he goes to villages, people say drugs are available like grocery items at general stores.
The statement is seen as an apparent attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led state government for “failing” to check drug menace.
The governor, who is on a two-day tour of Punjab’s border villages, said: “It is a matter of worry. It is not the question of adults only. Drugs have entered schools and children are getting addicted. Parents are feeling helpless. Some children get addicted to the extent that they start stealing in their homes and we are getting several complaints in this regard. They get trapped in clutches of gangs who are dominating,” Purohit said while addressing a gathering at Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Auditorium in Pathankot.
On his two-day tour, the governor will interact with sarpanches of villages in six border districts of Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka and officials of the security agencies. On Wednesday, he interacted with the sarpanches of villages in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran.
This Purohit’s third such visit to the border areas. The motive of his visits is to tackle smuggling of drugs from across the border.
After his last two visits in the border areas, apparent differences emerged between him and the state government over various issues. The AAP government has been claiming to have been doing enough to eradicate drugs in the state.
The governor clarified that the objective of his visit is not to blame anyone, but make people understand and aware of the situation.
“Many drug seizures are being made but more than this is being smuggled, and it is apparent because it is reaching schools and villages. Some people from the police department have also become addicts as per media reports. This is not a small smuggling racket. It is like Pakistan has initiated a proxy war against India. I have already asked the administration to make security committees in villages and many of them have already been constituted. These committees should be strengthened by spreading more awareness,” he said.
“Police and BSF are nabbing drug smugglers and the quantity of contraband seizure has doubled in the last six months. It is clear that there are persons sitting on this side of the border to receive drugs being smuggled from Pakistan. Many are being arrested, but how the drugs are spreading. How it is available easily and how it is being provided in schools? All agencies should come together and combat this on a war footing.”
He asked the district administrations to strengthen village-level security committees, besides directing the state director general of police to increase the number of police stations in border areas. “Efforts should be made to cut the supply link completely. Efforts should be made to seek help from the Centre on the issue,” the governor said.
He also asked the BSF and army not to take the issue lightly. “It is the question of country’s defence, question of saving our generations and a question of saving our Punjab. The security of the nation is the security of the people. This is our first duty. It should be our top priority. Smuggling is not only of drugs, weapons are also being recovered,” he added.
Before the governor’s address in Pathankot, chief secretary (CS), Punjab, Vijay Kumar Janjua highlighted the works of the state government in progress to eradicate corruption and drug menace.
He said land has been provided for establishing Narcotics Control Bureau’s regional centre in Amritsar. A high-security jail will be set up in the near future. “The jail will be in an isolated location and will house hardcore gangsters and drug smugglers,” he said.
Mann govt making efforts to check drug menace: AAP
Reacting to the governor’s remarks, AAP’s Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said the Mann government is leaving no stone unturned in tackling the drug menace from day one, and a senior police officer even presents a report on drug seizures every week.
He said the DGP is also proactive and visits nakas for checking regularly. “The drug supply to Punjab is from across the border, and the responsibility for stopping it with the Centre and the same BJP government, which has appointed him (Purohit) as the governor of Punjab. Instead of making political statements, he should go to the Centre and urge them to take concrete action like the state government. If the central government is serious, it should deal with this problem firmly,” he added.
