Punjab Governor to take out padyatra to spread awareness on drug menace
Right in the midst of the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh drive of the AAP government, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has announced to undertake a six-day “padyatra” to create awareness against the drug menace.
The Governor will start the padyatra from near the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, on April 3. It will culminate on the April 8 evening at the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. Kataria will be walking through the villages of Gurdaspur and Amritsar during these six days, covering seven to eight km daily.
Sources in the Punjab Raj Bhawan told The Tribune that Governor Kataria had already informed the state government of his decision to undertake the yatra to showcase the seriousness of Government of India to “address the growing menace of drug/substance abuse”. He has asked almost all top political functionaries in the state government to join him in the padyatra on any given day of their choice.
“Government of India as well as Government of Punjab are making serious efforts to address the growing menace of drug abuse… by creating awareness. The Government of Punjab gives highest priority to this problem. I have personally held interaction with ministers, MPs, MLAs, VCs of the universities and heads of other prominent institutions, other senior officials and representatives of various sections of society. I understand that all of us are making concerted efforts to overcome this major problem facing our state. Keeping this in view, I will be undertaking a padyatra from April 3- 8,” reads his letter to the top functionaries in the government.
He has exhorted the government functionaries to work together with him to overcome drug menace and make the state a ‘Rangla Punjab’.
