Ludhiana, Aug 4 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign has reached its final phase, and the newly formed defence committees in villages and cities will uproot drug trafficking from the state.

Addressing members of defence committees here, the Chief Minister said the government launched the campaign on February 4 and has achieved major success in eliminating the root of the drug problem. He said the backbone of the drug supply chain has been entirely broken.

Mann thanked the people for their enthusiastic support in this noble mission to save the future generations.

The Chief Minister said that to keep villages and cities drug-free in the future, the government has formed the defence committees. He said he is confident that these defence committees will act as generals in this war against drugs and safeguard our villages and cities.

“We have dreamt of making Punjab vibrant again, and with your cooperation, no power in the world can stop us from realising this dream,” he added.

The Chief Minister said he had pledged to restore Punjab’s pride, honour, and self-respect, adding no stone would be left unturned for it.

Mann explained that each village or ward defence committee will be formed with four core members: the village sarpanch or ward councillor, a representative from the anti-drug campaign, the BDPO or their representative, and the Station House Officer (SHO) or their representative.

He said these committees will include 10 to 20 members, depending on the population and only individuals with clean records and reputations, such as retired army personnel, teachers, and village headmen, will be included.

The Chief Minister categorically said each committee will be officially notified by the local Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM), and committee members will be issued special government ID cards.

He said it will facilitate communication with the administration regarding drug-related information or anti-drug activities.

Mann said villages and wards will have round-the-clock surveillance to ensure no trafficker dares to operate.

–IANS

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