Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab media in-charge, Baltej Pannu, has announced that a crucial high-level meeting will be held on Friday to intensify the state government's ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign.
Pannu said the meeting follows Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's recent interaction with all Station House Officers (SHOs) in Phillaur. As part of the next phase of the campaign, officials from across the state will come together to review the progress made so far and discuss future strategies.
The meeting will bring together all Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) from across Punjab.
Pannu described the gathering as significant, stating that while meetings involving SSPs have previously been held at the district level, this would be the first such meeting bringing together these senior administrative and police officials from all districts simultaneously.
The discussions will focus on reviewing the performance of the campaign, identifying shortcomings and formulating a comprehensive action plan to strengthen the fight against drugs.
Reiterating the state government's commitment, Pannu said the government had been fighting the drug menace with the determination of a war for the past one-and-a-half years. He added that efforts would now be intensified further to achieve more effective results.
Referring to a tragic incident, Pannu said such events were deeply painful for society. He stressed that whenever any problem or shortcoming came to light, necessary corrective measures would be taken. He also called on the administration and concerned departments to work with utmost seriousness to address the drug problem.
Addressing concerns over the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs, Pannu said all forms of substance abuse were harmful and that the illegal use of medicines was a serious matter requiring special attention.
He explained that while certain substances fall under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, others may not be covered by the legislation. He said the Centre's role would be important in bringing such substances under the appropriate legal framework.
However, he asserted that the Punjab government was not shirking its responsibility and was taking the issue of pharmaceutical drug misuse seriously.
Pannu said strict monitoring was necessary to prevent the misuse of medicines and warned that the government would not tolerate negligence at any level. He added that action against drugs would not be relaxed regardless of the individuals involved or their position.
He further said discussions on the issue had taken place on Thursday morning and that necessary steps would be considered following the proposed high-level meeting.
Pannu said any shortcomings in preventing drug abuse or taking action against offenders in any area would be addressed by strengthening the administrative and police machinery.
The government's objective, he added, was to effectively curb drug networks and make the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ campaign more result-oriented.
Responding to a question about the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Pannu said he could not share any additional information at this stage.
He clarified that action in the case was being taken in accordance with directions issued by the police and the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), with the process being supervised by the concerned officials.
