SAS Nagar, September 2:
Member of Parliament from Sri Anandpur Sahib, Malvinder Singh Kang, on Wednesday chaired a district-level review meeting of the Punjab Government’s ‘Yudh Nashya Virudh’ campaign and directed all concerned departments to further strengthen coordinated action against drug abuse through effective enforcement, treatment, rehabilitation and community participation.
Reviewing the functioning of the campaign, the MP directed the officers associated with the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and Ward Defence Committees (WDCs) to take prompt and appropriate action on the references and inputs provided by committee members to curb the menace of drugs at the grassroots level.
He asked the Police Department to further intensify enforcement against drug peddlers and traffickers, while directing the Health Department to ensure proper OPD and IPD treatment facilities for persons seeking de-addiction treatment.
Emphasising the importance of rehabilitation after treatment, Kang urged the District Administration to explore suitable avenues for connecting recovered and rehabilitated youth with employment opportunities, enabling them to reintegrate into society and lead productive lives.
The MP appreciated the services being provided by the 100-bedded Government Nasha Mukti Kendra at Sector 66, SAS Nagar, which is presently functioning at its full capacity and providing de-addiction and rehabilitation care to persons affected by substance abuse.
Kang also requested Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal to explore the possibility of expanding de-addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities to the Derabassi Sub-Division, considering the need for accessible treatment services across all parts of the district.
Speaking during the meeting, MLA Derabassi Kuljit Singh Randhawa appreciated the ‘Yudh Nashya Virudh’ campaign and said that the government’s commitment towards safeguarding the youth was yielding positive results by sensitising communities and motivating persons affected by substance abuse to approach de-addiction and OOAT centres for treatment.
He said that the sustained enforcement drive had created a strong deterrent among drug peddlers. However, he stressed the need for further strengthening enforcement measures and also advocated the establishment of a dedicated de-addiction centre in the Derabassi Sub-Division.
Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal, assuring the MP of all necessary measures for the successful implementation of the campaign, said that, in accordance with the directions of the Punjab Government, regular meetings of Village Defence Committee and Ward Defence Committee members were being organised in every sub-division under the supervision of the respective SDMs.
During the meeting, MP Kang also obtained detailed feedback from the coordinators associated with the ‘Yudh Nashya Virudh’ campaign, Executive Officers, BDPOs and district police officials regarding the implementation and progress of the campaign.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, SAS Nagar, Sundeep Singh Garha; ADCs Anmol Singh Dhaliwal and Sonam Chaudhary; SDMs Damandeep Kaur (Mohali), Gurmeet Singh (Kharar), Amit Gupta (Derabassi) and Ramandeep Kaur (Banur); SP (PBI) Deepika Singh; DSP City-II Harsimran Singh Bal; Civil Surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain; and Yudh Nashya Virudh Zonal Coordinator Anu Babbar, among other officers.