Chandigarh, February 28 : Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday issued a Final Warning to drug traffickers in Punjab. This warning is final. They must either give up drug trafficking or leave the state. He gave this warning in the presence of his co-member in the cabinet sub-committee Aman Arora, Dr. Balbir Singh, Tarunpreet Singh Saund, and Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha and DGP Gaurav Yadav during a press conference held at Punjab Bhawan.

Cheema Issues Final Warning to Drug Traffickers

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized an important government initiative. The Punjab government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, launched a major campaign. Over the past three years, they aimed to eradicate drugs from the state. The newly formed Cabinet Sub-Committee aims to intensify efforts. They are working round the clock with civil and police administration. Their goal is to ensure strict action against drug peddlers across Punjab. He announced that the War against Drugs, inspired by AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s vision, is in its final stage. Bulldozers are targeting the houses of drug peddlers. No individual involved in the drug trade will be spared, regardless of their position or influence.

Drug Traffickers; Authorities have registered 12,000 FIRs under the NDPS Act.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the Akali-BJP alliance and the Congress party. He claimed they pushed Punjab’s youth towards drugs. This occurred during their respective tenures from 2002 to 2022. He cited the unholy alliance between political leaders, drug smugglers, and police officers that patronize drug trafficking in the state. cheema said that during the 2017 assembly elections, Captain Amarinder Singh had taken an oath with Gutka Sahib in his hand at Talwandi Sabo. He promised that his government, if formed, would completely eradicate drugs from the state. However, after coming to power, nothing was done. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema highlighted the achievements of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government. He said authorities recently registered around 12,000 FIRs under the NDPS Act, granting defaulter bail to only 24 individuals.This is a significant improvement from previous governments where political influence often led to defaulter bail for drug smugglers. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said that AAP Government seized property worth Rs 612 crore of drug smugglers in just 3 years. This is in contrast to Rs 142 crore during the 5 years regime of Congress. He said that there is a 600 percent increase in heroin seizures. Approximately 1128 kg were seized under the current government. This is in comparison to 197 kg during the Congress rule. “The conviction rate in NDPS cases has risen to 85 percent, the highest in the country, from 58 percent before 2022”, said Arora. Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said that before the Akali-BJP coalition government in 2007, synthetic drugs were virtually unheard of in Punjab. He explained that synthetic drugs did not exist during that time. He said that who does not know about Jagdish Bhola and the person he named in this case. Media reports and a former Enforcement Directorate officer’s statement implicate individuals close to Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. This includes a minister and 10 MLAs. The case involves 130 deaths due to a hooch tragedy in Tarn Taran. Cabinet Minister Arora said that these political parties contributed drastically to Punjab’s drug problem. Authorities have registered over 30,000 cases under the NDPS Act. The state government has taken significant actions against drug smugglers. Cabinet Minister Arora said that they have formed the Anti-Narcotic Force. Over 30,000 cases under the NDPS Act have been registered in the past three years. He further mentioned the arrest of over 6,500 major and 4,500 minor drug smugglers. Additionally, there was the detention of over 100 police personnel involved in drug smuggling. Moreover, he discussed the transfer of more than 10,000 police personnel. He also mentioned the capture of 294 drones bringing drugs from across the border. Over three lakh drug victims are undergoing treatment in OOAT centers. Committees have been formed in about 12,500 villages to combat drug smuggling.

Retailers cannot keep more than 20-30 capsules.

In response to a query regarding the unauthorised sale of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs by chemists, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said that the state government has already written to the central government to include certain OTC drugs—which are legal but not currently listed under Schedule H1—in the scheduled drugs list.  “In the meantime, we have imposed restrictions on the quantity of such drugs that retailers and wholesalers can stock.”Retailers cannot keep more than 20-30 capsules, while wholesalers cannot hoard more than 500 capsules. The health department is actively enforcing similar limits on suppliers and manufacturers across the state to curb the unauthorized sale of OTC drugs,” he said.

Punjab Government is introducing a new Mental Health Policy

Addressing another question about the monopoly of a few individuals in operating de-addiction centers, the Health Minister revealed that the Punjab Government is introducing a new Mental Health Policy. This policy will restrict individuals to opening only a limited number of drug de-addiction centers. Additionally, the policy will ensure that each center has an adequate number of psychiatrists and staff members. Dr Balbir Singh warned that authorities would take strict action against anyone operating more de-addiction centers than permitted.

state will approach the Central Government

Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said the state will approach the Central Government to demand a complete check on drug smuggling from across the border, adding that despite BSF’s jurisdiction over 50 km along the border, drug smuggling has not stopped. He said that the BJP led Central Government owed to hold responsibility of cross border drug smuggling rather than illogically holding state responsible for the same. The Cabinet Sub-Committee reiterated that to make Punjab ‘Rangla Punjab’ again, the government will take strict action against drug smugglers and further strengthen OOAT centers for drug victims’ treatment.