Chandigarh: Punjab Finance Minister Harpeel Singh Cheema on Sunday said that Punjab government’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, launched on February 25, has yielded results within just 12 days and said that 875 FIRs have been registered while as 1,188 drug have been held by the police.
Cheema told the media here that 875 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered, 1,188 drug traffickers arrested, Rs 35 lakh drug money seized and narcotics, including 68 kg heroin, 873 kg poppy husk, 42 kg opium, 3.5 kg charas, and 6,74,370 intoxicating tablets confiscated.
Additionally, an awareness campaign is mobilising people to contribute towards building a drug-free and prosperous Punjab.
Cheema slammed the previous governments led by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance and the Congress for creating and fostering the drug epidemic in the state. He accused them of pushing the youth into drugs as part of a deliberate strategy.
“Before 2007, Punjab had never heard of synthetic drugs like heroin or ‘chitta’. It was during the SAD-BJP regime that these drugs entered Punjab and destroyed our youth. Instead of providing jobs and opportunities, they designed a system to trap Punjab’s young generation into addiction,” said Cheema.
He also lambasted the Congress government by saying, “Capt Amarinder Singh took a false oath in 2017, promising to eradicate drugs within four weeks. Instead, his government deepened ties with drug peddlers. Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, while basic necessities were inaccessible, drug trafficking flourished under the Congress rule. This is why the people of Punjab rejected them in 2022.”
Minister Cheema emphasized his party’s (AAP) historic mandate in 2022 as a rejection of the SAD-BJP and the Congress’ corrupt and anti-people policies.
Since assuming office, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government has prioritised modernising the police force and strengthening law enforcement systems to ensure justice.
He highlighted the stark differences in conviction rates under the NDPS Act, emphasising the efficiency of the current government.
He said while the conviction rate under AAP’s tenure stands at an impressive 86 per cent, it was significantly lower during the Congress regime at 58 per cent and even worse under the SAD-BJP government at just 40 per cent.
Cheema also pointed out that some districts have achieved conviction rates exceeding 90 per cent, such as Sangrur at 93 per cent, Nawanshahr 99 per cent, and Ropar at 95 per cent.