Rupnagar, April 3, 2025 (Punjab News Bureau): Under the visionary leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state government’s “War Against Drugs” campaign is continuously making efforts to completely eliminate illegal drug trade in the district. Strict legal action will be taken against those accumulating illegal property through drug trafficking, and the properties of drug smugglers will be attached to legal proceedings.
These remarks were made by Deputy Commissioner of Rupnagar, Varjit Walia, while addressing a review meeting on the “War Against Drugs” campaign. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rupnagar, Gulneet Singh Khurana, was also present.
Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner instructed civil and police officials to take strict legal action against drug traffickers and put them behind bars to prevent them from trapping the youth in the menace of drugs. He stated that committees have been formed at the village and city ward levels to take action at the grassroots level. These committees are holding meetings and fully supporting the state government’s campaign against drugs. Civil and police officials have been directed to promptly act on the suggestions and complaints of these committees.
He instructed SDMs and DSPs to work in coordination at the sub-divisional level and to conduct regular checks in drug-prone areas. He emphasized ensuring strict legal action against drug smugglers and confiscating all properties acquired through drug trafficking.
Varjit Walia also directed the Civil Surgeon of Rupnagar to ensure that de-addiction centers and outpatient clinics (OT Clinics) in the district have an adequate supply of essential medicines, testing kits, and required staff, as the number of patients seeking treatment for drug addiction is increasing.
SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana stated that special operations, including “Cordon and Search Operations” (CASO), are being conducted in sensitive drug-prone areas to curb the supply of narcotics. In March alone, 15 commercial cases were registered under the NDPS Act, and investigations are underway to identify and seize the properties of traffickers.
He further directed officials to investigate not only the properties of individuals booked under the NDPS Act but also those of their relatives, friends, and close associates. If any property is found to have been acquired through drug trade, steps should be taken to confiscate it.
The police department has launched a “Sampark” campaign to encourage citizen participation, under which public awareness programs have been conducted. The Punjab government’s Safe Punjab Helpline number 9779-100-200 was also shared, ensuring that the identity of individuals providing information about drug traffickers will remain confidential.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Chandrajyoti Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Pooja Syal Garewal, SP Navneet Singh Mahal, SP Arvind Meena, Assistant Commissioner Arvinderpal Singh Somal, SDM Chamkaur Sahib Amrik Singh Sidhu, SDM Morinda Sukhpal Singh, SDM Rupnagar Sachin Pathak, SDM Nangal Anamjot Kaur, Civil Surgeon Dr. Tarsem Singh, DSP Rajpal Singh, DSP Ajay Singh, DSP Manjit Singh Aulakh, DSP Jatinderpal Singh, DSP Kulbir Singh Sandhu, DSP Jasmin Kaur, DSP Pankaj Sharma, DSP Gurmeet Singh, along with all district BDOs, executive officers, SMOs, and other senior officials.