Sangrur Congress leader claims drug sale at his village continues unabated

 

A local Congress leader has claimed drugs are “openly” sold in his village Gharachon—a development that could cause embarrassment to his own party’s government in the state.

 

Harjinder Singh, member of Sangrur’s District Grievances Redressal Committee, said at a meeting on Tuesday: “I request all senior officers to take quick action as Chitta and other drugs are being sold in our village. It’s ruining the lives of youngsters”. 

 

The allegations appear to fly in the face of Congress government’s claims that its crackdown on the state’s nefarious drug ring has been successful. The claims, coming as it does from a Congress leader, has certainly surprised Punjab Minister Razia Sultana, who claimed her government had “broken the supply line of drugs in state”. 

 

“But we need the support of area residents and they should inform police if anyone is selling drugs in their area. I have directed SSP for quick action,” she said. 

 

Also surprised at the complaint was Sangrur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg, who said his department had such complaint registered with them. He also asked Harjinder Singh to lodge a complaint at 181—Punjab Police’s helpline number.

   

“Immediate action will be taken,” he said.

 

Sunam Member of Legislative Assembly Aman Arora, whose Aam Aadmi Party is the Congress party’s chief opposition in Punjab Assembly, claimed that Singh’s allegations did not come as a surprise. 

 

“It’s not first time. Many officers, Congress leaders and others have been admitting repeatedly to the continued sale of drugs in Punjab. The government has failed to stem the supply,” he said. 

 

The development also comes at a time when the Narcotics Control Bureau has launched what it calls a “multi-tiered” crackdown on traffickers and cross-border drug syndicates in Punjab.

 

The NCB, a federal agency to check drug abuse in the country, sent team of about 9-10 personnel headed by a Deputy Director General (DDG)-rank office to camp in Amritsar for at least three months, PTI said quoting a senior officer privy to the development.

 

Meanwhile, tempers ran high at the committee meeting on Tuesday.  AAP MLA Arora had heated arguments with Minister Razia Sultan, finally ending in the former walking out of the meeting with his supporters, who shouted slogans against the Congress state government. The bone of contention was Arora’s claim that food and civil supply officers were not accepting forms uploaded on the food and civil supplies department’s official website for issuing smart cards to beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal scheme, instead insisting on another form.

“Punjab Food and civil supply department officers aren’t accepting the (scheme’s) form available on their website to issue smart card, but are compelling applicants to fill another form, which is available at the residence of Halqa in-charge Daman Thind Bajwa,” Arora said at the meeting.

He also claimed that the Social Welfare Department had yet to issue pension letters to several residents of his area a year after they were promised. 

Thind meanwhile dismissed Arora’s allegations as baseless.

 “The forms are available in all villages,” he said.  With PTI inputs