Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said the govt has formed ‘defence committees‘ to keep villages and cities drug-free.
The ‘War Against Drugs‘ campaign in the state has reached its final phase, and the newly formed defence committees will uproot drug trafficking from the state, he asserted. Each village or ward defence committee will have 10-20 strong, depending on the population, four of whom will be the core members: the sarpanch or ward councillor, a representative from the anti-drug campaign, the BDPO or their representative, and the SHO or their representative. Only those with clean records -such as retired military personnel, teachers, and village headmen – will be included.
Each committee will be officially notified by the local SDM, and members will be issued special govt ID cards. Villages and wards will now have 24×7 surveillance to ensure no trafficker dares to operate, said Mann, adding that communication with the administration regarding drug-related information or anti-drug activities will be swift.
Committee members will also assist in drug rehabilitation and help reintegrate former addicts in society. Addressing newly appointed defence committee members, the CM said the anti-drug campaign, launched on Feb 4 this year, has smashed the backbone of the drug supply chain. Any village or ward that achieves 100% drug-free status will receive formal recognition and certificates of appreciation from the govt, he added.
