Punjab govt committed to end drug menace: Badal

Chandigarh: Punjab government is committed to end the drug menace in the state and cut off the supply chain of those in this illegal trade at all costs, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here on Tuesday. He said that the drive against drug is vigorously under process in the state.

"We are committed to end drug menace and cut off the supply chain of those in this trade at all costs," he told reporters here on the sidelines of oath-taking ceremony of three new ministers in his cabinet at Raj Bhawan. Badal said the government had set up State Narcotics Drug Control Authority with an Inspector General (IG)-rank officer as its head. "IG Ishwar Singh had been given a free hand to tackle the drug problem in the state," he said, adding police is under the process of arresting drug suppliers and dealers operative in the state. "The government is working overtime to break the supply chain of those in drug trade," he said, adding besides government had also launched a drug de-addiction drive in the state. "Police have been directed to tackle cases of drug on merit and no innocent should be arrested," he said. "We are taking both administrative and corrective actions against the problem of drugs," he said. Badal said that he would take up the matter with the Centre to seal borders of Punjab to check the "inflow of drugs from across the border". Exuding confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will render all help for the development and other rights of Punjab, he said "with Modi at the helm of affairs discrimination against Punjab that was during the Congress regime will end." On the issue of sharing of river waters, Badal reiterated that the SAD is a votary of Riparian principle and his party stands by it.