The North News
Chandigarh, May 4
Punjab’s government on Sunday intensified its war on drugs, with ministers fanning out across districts to spearhead awareness campaigns and mobilise Village Defence Committees under the banner of Yudh Nashiyan Virudh.
The high-profile outreach, aimed at rallying public support for the campaign, saw cabinet ministers taking charge in multiple districts. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh led efforts in Patiala, while other ministers addressed gatherings in Bathinda, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, and other locations.
Officials said the campaign marks a sharp departure from past policies, accusing previous governments of sheltering drug cartels. “Earlier regimes nurtured drug smugglers; we have broken their morale and demolished their illegal assets,” ministers said during public meetings.
Information and Public Relations Minister Harjot Singh Bains addressed residents in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, while NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, and Local Government Minister Ravjot Singh Gill held programmes in Pathankot.
Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat were in Gurdaspur; Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and Revenue Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian in Amritsar; Rural Development Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur in Malerkotla; and Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal in Fazilka.
Calling for public participation, the ministers urged citizens to join the state’s “decisive battle” to eradicate drugs. They reiterated the Mann government’s zero-tolerance stance, stating that no individual—politician, official, or trafficker—would be spared.
“Punjab is the land of martyrs and warriors. With people’s support, we are committed to making it India’s first drug-free state,” they said.
The ministers also praised Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for what they called a “bold and uncompromising” stand on Punjab’s water rights in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) dispute.
