Punjab CM calls cabinet meet on Mon to discuss drug problem

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has called a meeting of his cabinet on Monday to discuss ways to curb the drug menace in the state and review progress of police investigations into recent drug-related deaths, an official said today.

Singh has asked senior police officers to attend the meeting in Chandigarh, the official said.

They are expected to brief the cabinet on the status of their investigations into the cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The cabinet is expected to suggest the response mechanism to deal with the issue aggressively, the official said.

Singh has expressed a desire for collaborative efforts by government functionaries and people to wipe out the menace.

Though a lot of ground had been covered in countering the problem, more work was needed to save the youth of Punjab, the spokesperson said, quoting the chief minister.

The government has faced severe criticism after a number of people died this month reportedly due to drug overdose. The Akali Dal and the AAP have accused it of failing to control the menace.

According to media reports, two people died over the past two weeks in Punjab's Faridpur and Amritsar districts due to drug abuse.

Activists are set to launch a campaign called 'Black week against Chitta (synthetic drugs)' from tomorrow in the state.

Yesterday, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, Gyani Gurbachan Singh asked the Punjab government to adopt stringent measures to curb the menace.