Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday asserted that the Punjab government’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” will continue until every ounce of the menace was eliminated from the state.
During a meeting with Village Defence Committee (VDC) volunteers “Pinda De Pehredaar” in Ludhiana, the chief minister said the campaign had completed 500 days, during which 70,000 drug smugglers had been arrested, while 1.25 lakh volunteers across 13,000 villages had emerged as the backbone of the movement.
Launching a scathing attack on previous governments, Mann claimed that while they patronised the menace, the AAP government had broken its backbone through strict action against smugglers, treatment and rehabilitation of victims, and an unprecedented public awareness campaign.
Addressing a packed gathering, Mann said, “Today is a significant day as Yudh Nashian Virudh has completed 500 days and our Village Defence Committees have completed one year. I thank the people of Punjab for turning both these initiatives into a people’s movement. The day is not far when together these two movements will completely eradicate the menace of drugs from Punjab.”
Thanking the gathering, the chief minister said he was indebted to all those serving Punjab in the true spirit and added that their determination proved that any challenge, however big, could be overcome with collective resolve.
“The problem that once appeared insurmountable is steadily coming to an end within 500 days. Many people believed that this curse could never be eliminated, but with the active support of the people we have broken the backbone of this menace,” said Mann.
{{/usCountry}}“The problem that once appeared insurmountable is steadily coming to an end within 500 days. Many people believed that this curse could never be eliminated, but with the active support of the people we have broken the backbone of this menace,” said Mann.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing snippets from this programme on X, Mann said: “The state once branded as ‘Udta Punjab’ is now transforming into ‘Padhta Te Tandrust Punjab’. Punjab’s top ranking in school education, 882 students qualifying NEET, and more than 68,500 government jobs stand as proof of this transformation. This fight will continue until drugs are completely eradicated from Punjab. Let us all come together to build a ‘Rangla Punjab’. Inquilab Zindabad.”