E-Paper
Punjab honours grassroots volunteers of anti-drug campaign on Independence Day
State to conduct village, district and state-level reviews of ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign from August 16 to 31.
The Punjab government on Independence Day honoured members of village and ward defence committees for their participation in the state’s ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign, while announcing a two-week review exercise to assess the progress of anti-drug measures at the grassroots level.
The recognition programmes were held across the state for members of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and Ward Defence Committees (WDCs) who have been involved in efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse in their communities.
At the district level, deputy commissioners honoured assembly coordinators and vice assembly coordinators, while sub-divisional magistrates felicitated block coordinators at the sub-division level. At the village level, programmes were organised at schools and gram panchayats, where sarpanches and community members recognised VDC members involved in the campaign.
The state government has directed deputy commissioners in all 23 districts to identify eligible members of village and ward defence committees for their participation in advancing the objectives of the anti-drug campaign.
The government has also decided that activities related to the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign will be included prominently in national day celebrations and other major government events. The decision was taken at a state-level function chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on August 2.
The recognition programme is part of a broader action and review plan issued by the office of the state nodal officer for the anti-drug campaign. The plan seeks to incorporate feedback from communities into regular administrative and police reviews.
From August 16 to 25, meetings of Village Defence Committees will be held across villages. The committees will review complaints related to drug trafficking, assess action taken by the police and administration on earlier complaints, monitor pending cases and submit fresh suggestions and feedback.
The review process will then move to the district level. Between August 26 and 29, cabinet ministers will chair district-level review meetings attended by administrative and police officials, health department representatives, and coordinators at the district, assembly and block levels. Feedback received from villages will be reviewed and further action will be decided during these meetings.
The exercise will conclude with a state-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on August 31. The government will assess district-wise progress and prepare an action plan for the next phase of the campaign.
The Punjab government has increasingly sought to involve local committees and communities in its anti-drug efforts, alongside administrative and law-enforcement measures. The latest exercise places community-level feedback within a structured review process involving village, district and state authorities.
