Punjab govt committed to cut drug supply line: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said his government was firmly committed to check drug peddling in the state and would ensure cutting of the supply of poppy husk from across the border.
He said they have requested the Union government to check the smuggling of drugs from across the borders and strenuous efforts would also be made to ensure that the supply of poppy husk from Rajasthan, where it was sold freely, was cut.
Badal said that he would soon take up this issue with the Union government.
Terming his visit to several drug de-addiction centres across the state in the past two days as a "very fruitful exercise", he said it would give a major boost to the state government's crusade against drugs besides helping in de-addiction and rehabilitation of addicts across the state.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by the experts and key officers of the Health department, today visited the drug de-addiction centres in Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga, Sangrur, Patiala, Barnala and Mansa.
Interacting with the media persons on the second day of his whirlwind tour, the Chief Minister said this two-day exercise has further helped him in understanding the remedy of the voracious problem of drug addiction.

Badal said the exercise had enabled him to take stock of the services imparted by these drug de-addiction centres and that he would try to further improve these facilities after consulting the experts and officers accompanying him.

"It was a fact that drug de-addiction centres have proved to be a boon for the drug addicts who want to shun this curse and return back to normal life," he said.
In order to ensure that the de-addicted youth could lead a life with dignity, he said the state government would open 22 rehabilitation centres across the state within 3 months.
He said Patiala would have the 150 bedded drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre, equipped with the ultra modern facilities.
Pre-fabricated buildings for other 21 centres would be constructed by an agency of the Union Government, which would accomplish this task within three months, he added.

In order to ensure that drug addicts do not fall prey to this menace again, Badal said special emphasis would be laid on imparting skill training to them at these centers for enabling them to be self reliant in the future.