Kapurthala cops’ novel way to fight drugs: Play with youth

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Kapurthala, May 30

In a bid to steer young individuals away from the clutches of drug addiction, the Kapurthala police have initiated a novel approach of organising friendly matches in identified hotspot villages across Kapurthala.

Taking help of sarpanches, NGOs

With this initiative, we aim to motivate youngsters towards sports and keep them away from drugs. Village sarpanches, NGOs and other social workers are actively being encouraged to support the police force in eradicating the drug menace at the grassroots level.

Babandeep Singh, DSP, Sultanpur Lodhi

Under the leadership of Kapurthala SSP Rajpal Singh Sandhu, officials have planned to organize weekly matches in villages identified as drug hotspots. The inaugural exhibition match of volleyball was held in Latianwala village on Monday night. The national and international players from the Punjab police enthusiastically participated in the event, encouraging village youngsters to embrace sports as a means of personal growth and development.

Arjuna Awardees Sajjan Singh Cheema, who is also AAP Halqa incharge from Sultanpur Lodhi and Bahadur Singh, Commandant 7th Battalion PAP, were also present on the occasion, and in their address, they encouraged youngsters to adopt a healthy lifestyle and say no to drugs.

Meanwhile, recognising the importance of engaging the youth in productive activities and deter drug demand in these affected villages, the Kapurthala police had approached the village sarpanches and local residents to help them in this initiative and make the youngsters aware about the harmful effects of drugs, besides motivating them to participate in these matches.

SSP Sandhu said the initiative reflects a progressive approach in combating drug addiction by engaging the youth in positive activities. “By focusing on sports and fostering a sense of community involvement, the aim is to provide an alternative path for young individuals, diverting their attention away from harmful substances,” he said, adding that as this programme gains momentum, it is expected to serve as a model for other regions, encouraging collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and local communities in the fight against drug abuse.

Divulging more details, Sultanpur Lodhi DSP Babandeep Singh explained the rationale behind selecting Latianwala village as the starting point for this initiative. “The village has gained notoriety due to its prevalence of drug-related issues. Despite its small population of approximately 100 to 120 households, the village has witnessed nearly 250 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases over the past decade, along with the recovery of significant quantities of narcotics”, he added.

“With this initiative, we aim to motivate youngsters towards sports and keep them away from drugs,” stated DSP Babandeep Singh, further emphasising that village sarpanches, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other social workers were actively being encouraged to support the police force in eradicating the drug menace at the grassroots level.