‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ Is In Its Final Phase; Police Directed To Intensify Ground-Level Action: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
Chandigarh News (Harpreet Singh): Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday declared that the Punjab’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ (war against drugs) has entered its final phase, calling for a decisive final push to completely eradicate the menace from Punjab. Reviewing the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign at a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister directed the police to intensify ground-level action against drug sellers, suppliers and smugglers while working closely with the public, asserting that the fight has now moved beyond the police force to become a people’s movement, with a 41% rise in feedback from Village Defence Committees reflecting growing public participation.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the ongoing ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’, the Chief Minister held a detailed virtual interaction with Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, Commissioners of Police and IGPs / DIGs from across the state. He reviewed the progress of the anti-drug campaign, the role of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), police action against smugglers and the mechanism for acting upon complaints received from the ground.
During this, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ (war against drugs) is in its final phase, and the police must now intensify action at the ground level. The time has come for the final assault, and drug hotspots, if any, at the ground level need to be targeted for better results.”
The Chief Minister said, “It is imperative to build a Punjab where the younger generation can live free from the scourge of drugs.” He categorically said, “Our government will not rest until drugs are completely eradicated from Punjab.”
The Chief Minister noted that 14,846 Village Defence Committees are currently active across Punjab, comprising 74,230 active members, making them an important pillar of the people’s collective fight against drugs. He said that 3,808 VDCs, with 36,814 members, are active in the border areas, where community participation is particularly crucial in identifying and disrupting drug-smuggling networks.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The increased participation of residents is strengthening the government’s intelligence and feedback mechanism at the grassroots.” He said that the increased participation of people was strengthening the fight against drugs across the state.
The Chief Minister pointed out that feedback from VDCs against drugs has increased by 41% across the state, reflecting growing public involvement in the campaign. He said that complaints received through VDCs are being followed up by the police and strict action is being initiated against drug smugglers.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann noted, “Since January this year, as many as 4,129 FIRs have been registered and 5,589 drug smugglers have been arrested on the basis of complaints received from VDCs.”
Similarly, the Chief Minister said that the Safe Punjab App has emerged as an important tool for citizens to report drug-related activities. During the last more than one year, he said that around 19,310 FIRs have been registered and 25,138 drug smugglers arrested on the basis of complaints received through the app.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “These figures demonstrate that the fight against drugs is no longer confined to police stations or government offices but has transformed into a people’s movement being fought from every village and locality.”
The Chief Minister said that the government has already succeeded in breaking the backbone of the drug supply network, with a large number of smugglers and suppliers being put behind bars. However, he cautioned that the battle cannot be considered over until the last link of the supply chain is eliminated and every village is made drug-free.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The state government has broken the backbone of the drug supply, but this is not the time to lower our guard.”
He categorically said, “Drug peddlers, suppliers and smugglers must understand that there is no place for them in Punjab and the state government will take strict action against them.” He asked the civil and police administration to further strengthen the feedback mechanism of Village Defence Committees and ensure that information received from the grassroots is acted upon swiftly.
The Chief Minister said that the entire system of reporting drug-related activities should be made simple and accessible so that genuine complaints can be registered without hesitation and prompt action can be taken against drug smugglers. At the same time, he stressed the need for responsible functioning of VDCs and directed members to ensure proper conduct while carrying out their responsibilities.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann categorically said, “In the war against drugs, officers should identify and share best practices adopted in their respective districts in the fight against drugs, so that successful models can be replicated across Punjab.”
The Chief Minister asked senior police officers to maintain close coordination with VDC members and other grassroots stakeholders and ensure that the feedback mechanism becomes more effective, transparent and result-oriented. He announced that he would personally hold meetings with Station House Officers (SHOs) to review the anti-drug campaign at the police-station level and intensify the ongoing war against narcotics.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The SHO is the most important operational link between the police administration and the people at the grassroots and therefore accountability and performance at the police-station level will be strengthened.”
The Chief Minister said, “The fight against drugs will be won on the ground in our villages, streets and neighbourhoods.” He said, “Every SHO, every police officer and every civil officer must remain alert to check the menace of drugs in the state.”
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further directed officers to maintain continuous coordination between the civil administration, police, VDCs and citizens so that the anti-drug campaign becomes a sustained mass movement.
On the occasion, Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora, Harpal Singh Cheema, Dr Balbir Singh, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Hardeep Singh Mundian and Barinder Goyal, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, DGP Gaurav Yadav and others were also present.
