Police up in arms against drugs menace: Punjab Information Minister

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, March 16, : Expressing his concern over the drug addiction mong youth, Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh ajithia on Sunday said that the State Police is doing everything to make Punjab drug-free state.

"Though people talk about the menace, but no one seems to be prepared to ome forward and check it," said Majithia while addressing a gathering after atching the play called "Armaan" at the Guru Nanak Dev University here.

The play depicting the ill effects of drug abuse was organized by Punjab Police order Zone, Amritsar along with the support of Punarjot, a centre for reservation and promotion of heritage of Punjab.

Impressed by the dramatization of the play, Majithia said that it had left him peechless and spellbound.

The minister suggested that the dramatization of similar kind of plays in every ook and corner of the city would help in generating mass awareness against the rug addiction.

"Drug addiction if not checked in time, may lead to catastrophic consequences or the addicts, their families and the society," Majithia said.

He went on to say that the monster of drug addiction is playing havoc with youth.

"It is crippling our society and robbing it of services of able bodied men and omen," the minister said.

A majority of youth are taking drugs due to bad parenting and stressful pbringing, they feel isolated and face a dilemma for future so they seek drugs to ake temporary solace from the ills of life, said Majithia.

He added that an emphatic and considerate family could help in fighting the evils f drugs and to pull out the addicts from the deadly dragnet of drugs.

Admitting that politicians and security forces have failed to curb the menace ither by patronizing them or by letting them go scot-free, Majithia said: "Enacting aws and policing won't suffice the purpose, it can only marginally take care of the roblem."

Lauding the efforts taken by Punjab Police Border Zone Amritsar and Health inister Punjab Laxmi Kanta Chawala, Majithia released two posters for a a ationwide campaign against drug addiction.

Majithia also presented a cheque of Rs. 50,000 to Master Ajit Singh for his fight gainst drug addiction.

According to a survey conducted by the Department of Social Security evelopment of Women and Children, 67 per cent of rural households in Punjab ave one drug addict and the problem is rampant particularly in Majha and oaba region, said R P Meena, I.G. Police.

Parampal Singh, DIG, P.K.Rai, AIG, and Jairoop Singh Vice Chancellor Guru anak Dev University were also present during the occasion.

Brijmohan Khanna, Chairman Khanna Paper Mills, Manveen Sandhu, Principal, r. Shawinder Singh Sandhu, Iqbal Singh, SSP (Rural) and all the SSPs of order Zone also watched the play.

ANI