Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday questioned the BJP’s proposed “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra,” saying the party should first address concerns related to drug trafficking and narcotics seizures linked to other parts of the country before launching an anti-drug campaign in Punjab.
Speaking to the media, Cheema specifically raised the issue of large drug seizures at Gujarat’s Mundra Port. He said the BJP should focus on addressing such cases before organizing an anti-drug yatra in Punjab.
The minister alleged that the term “chitta” became widely associated with Punjab during the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government’s tenure between 2007 and 2017. He also referred to past allegations regarding the supply of drugs through government vehicles and claimed that an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer who had initiated investigations against Akali-BJP leaders was later transferred.
Cheema said that around 55 kilometres of Punjab’s border area falls under the Centre’s jurisdiction and stressed that the Union government also has a crucial role in preventing cross-border drug smuggling. Referring again to the seizure of nearly 3,000 kg of drugs at Mundra Port, he questioned what action had been taken in the case.
Highlighting the Aam Aadmi Party government’s efforts, Cheema said the Bhagwant Mann-led administration launched the “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign to combat drug abuse and trafficking. He added that Punjab had installed a state-level anti-drone system to curb cross-border smuggling, claiming that the state was the first in the country to implement such a mechanism.
According to Cheema, the anti-drone measures have led to an approximately 80 percent decline in drug supplies entering Punjab from Pakistan. He further said that Punjab Police is conducting operations beyond the state’s borders to crack down on drug traffickers and dismantle smuggling networks.
