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.