Chandigarh, Jan 8 (PTI) Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday said the fight against drugs has to be turned into a people’s movement and sought the cooperation of all to tackle it.
He said the government as well as various bodies and organisations are putting in their efforts to deal with the drug menace.
Referring to Punjab government’s ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ anti-drug drive, he told reporters here that so far nearly 23,000 drug peddlers have been arrested and narcotics in huge quantities seized.
Kataria, who is also the Administrator of UT Chandigarh, said while all these efforts were ongoing, the war against drugs has to be turned into a people’s movement.
Earlier in the day, renowned Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan met Governor Kataria at Lok Bhavan here and held an in-depth discussion on the drug problem in the state.
During the meeting, Kataria emphasized the collective responsibility of society to safeguard the future of the younger generation in order to root out the drug menace from Punjab.
Kataria told Maan that for the past one year, he has been spearheading a sustained mass awareness campaign against drugs, in collaboration with educational institutions, social and religious organizations, NGOs, sportspersons, and other stakeholders.
Highlighting the powerful role of influential personalities in shaping public opinion against drug abuse, the governor urged Maan to actively associate himself with the campaign and use his immense popularity to educate and motivate the youth to stay away from drugs.
Reiterating his wholehearted commitment to the noble cause, Maan assured the governor of his full support to join the campaign and participate in awareness marches.
The singer asserted that protecting the youth from the scourge of drugs is a shared responsibility and that he would contribute with his heart and soul to the efforts aimed at building a healthy, drug-free Punjab, a statement said.
To spread awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse, Governor Kataria has personally undertaken extensive ‘padyatras’ to connect directly with people, including a six-day walk covering districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar, and a two-day walk in Jalandhar district, it said. PTI SUN KVK KVK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.