Punjab Police hold over 39k meetings in 17 months to combat drug abuse: DGP

The DGP said five districts were being selected every day for intensive outreach, with SP-rank officers chairing larger meetings and station house officers conducting interactions at the local level

The Punjab Police has held 39,236 police-public meetings across the state since the launch of its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign in March last year, as part of an intensified community outreach drive against drug abuse, DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Friday.

“The fight against drugs cannot be won through enforcement alone,” DGP Gaurav Yadav said. (HT File)

Of these, 10,605 meetings were held in schools, colleges and other educational institutions, while 3,303 sampark meetings were organised primarily for youth to raise awareness about substance abuse, prevention, de-addiction and rehabilitation. Another 25,328 meetings were held with village defence committees (VDCs) and ward defence committees in villages and urban areas.

“The fight against drugs cannot be won through enforcement alone,” the DGP said, adding that citizens, educational institutions and community organisations needed to become equal partners in the campaign.

The DGP said five districts were being selected every day for intensive outreach, with SP-rank officers chairing larger meetings and station house officers conducting interactions at the local level.

Punjab has around 13,000 VDCs with nearly 1.25 lakh volunteers, including retired defence and police personnel, teachers and village elders. The volunteers assist police and the health department in spreading awareness, sharing information on drug-related activities and helping people access de-addiction and rehabilitation services.

ADGP, Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Nilabh Kishore, said the sustained outreach has created a strong platform for dialogue and community engagement, making citizens active stakeholders in building a drug-free Punjab.