Residents pledge to make Malerkotla first drug-free dist

Residents of the region vowed to work in tandem against drug abuse and make Malerkotla the first drug-free district of the state.

Office-bearers and activists of Village and Ward Defence Committees and civic bodies of Amargarh and Malerkotla assembly segments led the anti-drug enthusiasts.

An oath was taken at the district-level function held at Sydney Gardens on Malerkotla-Khanna road here to kick off the “Nasha Mukti Yatra”, the next phase of “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign.

Punjab Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond, legislators Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman and Amandeep Kaur Arora, Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke and SSP Gagan Ajit Singh were on the dais when the oath was administered to the anti-drug activists.

Speakers including Dr Baljit Kaur, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Gajjanmajra, Rahman and Arora said that “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign launched by Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had received an overwhelming response from residents of Punjab, including office-bearers of social and constitutional bodies, irrespective of their political allegiance.

“It is the first time that the movement launched by the government to make Punjab drug-free has been appreciated by people of the state who had come forward to support the cause irrespective of their political allegiance,” said Sond, cautioning that drug peddlers and their sympathisers would not be spared at any cost.

Minister Baljit Kaur called upon women to play an active role in the government’s endeavour to save the youth from falling prey to drugs.

DC Viraj S Tidke and SSP Gagan Ajit Singh appreciated that designated representatives of various Village and Ward Defence Committees had started working for the identification of anti-social elements so that action can be taken against them.