Punjab to set up drug control bureau

In an attempt to deal with the menace of drug addiction, Punjab government has decided to set up a bureau to check the use of narcotics in the state.
The bureau will be headed by 1993-batch IPS officer of IGP rank Ishwar Singh, who was earlier posted as Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, a spokesman said here today.
He said the bureau would have district-level field units for first-hand information and quick follow-up action regarding narcotics.
It would be functional soon after the finalisation of the staff by Punjab Police DGP S S Saini, he said.
Singh said drug inspectors from the health department would also be involved to check illicit sale of habit-forming drugs by chemists.

The drug menace was a major issue during Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, with political parties like SAD and Congress exchanging charges over it.