Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond warns drug traffickers to leave Punjab

As part of Punjab Government’s mission "War Against Drugs," Cabinet Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Industry and Commerce, Investment Promotion, Labour, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, held a crucial meeting on Tuesday with Fatehgarh Sahib's civil and police administration officials at Bachat Bhawan.

During the meeting, Minister Sond emphasized that Punjab has no room for drug traffickers who are endangering the youth. He directed officials to devise a comprehensive master plan to eliminate drugs from Fatehgarh Sahib, a land of martyrs.

He stressed the need for an extensive awareness campaign in schools and colleges to educate young people about the dangers of drugs, ensuring that future generations remain unaffected. Additionally, he instructed officials to introduce a district-level drug helpline number.

Prior to the meeting, the Cabinet Minister visited Gurdwara Sahib, where he paid his respects and prayed for the success of the state’s anti-drug mission.

Speaking to the media afterward, Minister Sond underscored the Punjab Government's commitment to tackling the drug menace under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

He revealed that in the past three years, authorities have arrested over 6,500 major and 45,000 minor drug traffickers, registering more than 30,000 cases under the NDPS Act since 2022. To dismantle any collusion between police officers and drug traffickers, over 10,000 police personnel have been transferred.

He further disclosed that the present government has seized ₹612 crore worth of drug traffickers’ property, a significant rise from the ₹142 crore confiscated under previous administrations. Additionally, Punjab Police have recovered 1,128 kg of heroin so far, compared to the mere 197 kg seized during previous regimes.

Minister Sond criticized past governments for not only failing to curb drug abuse but also enabling its spread. He assured that to counter drug smuggling from Pakistan, the Punjab Government will coordinate with senior BSF officials to dismantle the cross-border smuggling network.

He urged district officials to consider drug eradication their social responsibility, assuring them of the government’s full backing. He encouraged them to take strict action against drug networks without fear.

Additionally, he directed officials to involve village panchayats in the mission and raise awareness among communities, encouraging them to report drug traffickers with the assurance that their identities would be kept confidential.

The meeting was attended by MLAs Advocate Lakhbir Singh Rai (Fatehgarh Sahib), Rupinder Singh Happy (Bassi Pathana), and Gurinder Singh Gary Baring (Amloh), along with Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sona Thind, SSP Shubham Agarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Surinder Singh Dhaliwal, SP (D) Rakesh Yadav, SDM Amloh Chetan Bangar, SDM Bassi Pathana Harbir Kaur, SDM Khamano Manreet Rana, and officials from various departments.