Punjab Health Minister warns private de-addiction centers against selling drugs

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh issued a strict warning to private drug de-addiction centers selling pills to drug peddlers to stop the practice while initiating the state government’s “War on Drugs” campaign.

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Addressing the gathering, Singh said the campaign launched under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make the state drug-free will play a decisive role in rising Punjab of its drug problem.

The minister added that people from every section of the society will have to cooperate to eradicate drugs. He especially appealed to the women of the state that if any member of a family is trapped in the swamp of drugs, then they should be brought to the government de-addiction center.

He said the government promises that they will be given a chance to live a healthy life again, adding that the state would also provide them with vocational training courses, loans under various government schemes to start self-employment.

Talking to the media, the minister said the accountability of private drug de-addiction centers will be fixed in the campaign to create a drug-free society.

It will be made necessary for these centers to present information on the number of drug addicts housed to the stop the sale of narcotic pills. He said that these centers will also be checked from time to time. He also obtained information about psychiatrists from the managers of private drug de-addiction centers.

Notably, the minister was stunned when the leaders of the de-addiction and rehabilitation employee’s union warned that if their demands conceded by the Minister were not implemented, they would be forced to launch an agitation.

From 2018 onwards, the union members said, they have not received any increment in salaries.