Chandigarh, Oct 1 (PTI) BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh said his party has set December 31, 2029 as the deadline to free Punjab from the ‘chitta’ (synthetic drugs) trade if it is voted to power in the 2027 Assembly polls.
A BJP government would take stringent and decisive action to dismantle the drug trade and ensure that those involved in drug trafficking are brought to justice and sent behind bars under the law, he said.
Chugh also met families of addicts and said their pain reflects the suffering the drug menace has brought into homes across Punjab.
Protecting Punjab’s youth from drugs is not merely a law and order issue but a question directly connected with the social and economic future of the state, Chugh said in a statement.
The BJP had conducted ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ across the state last month. The 13-day yatra began in Pathankot on September 18 and traversed around 4,000 kilometres across 117 Assembly constituencies, before concluding in Jalandhar on September 30.
Chugh said the BJP’s commitment goes beyond action against individual drug sellers; the entire supply chain, trafficking network and distribution system will have to be dismantled through a stringent and effective enforcement mechanism so that ‘chitta’ does not reach Punjab’s youth.
A BJP government would take decisive action against the drug trade and free Punjab from its grip, the Rajya Sabha MP said, adding that effective enforcement of existing laws and stronger coordination with Central agencies are essential to fight the drug issue.
Referring to action against more than 5,000 people across the country under the PIT-NDPS (Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) framework, he questioned the effective use of the law in Punjab.
He said measures, such as establishing a Narcotics Control Bureau office in Punjab, must also be taken forward firmly.
The fight for a drug-free Punjab must go hand in hand with employment opportunities for young people, resolution of farmers’ concerns, industrial development and improvement in the state’s financial position, he stated.
Punjab’s development can gather momentum only when its youth are free from drugs and connected with opportunities in education, employment, sports and entrepreneurship, he further said. PTI CHS RUK
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