The police have a list of such smugglers and dealers who have built luxurious houses and other businesses with illegal income from drugs.
Editorial: The Punjab government has constituted a five-member ministerial sub-committee under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to intensify the war on drugs. This ‘all-powerful’ committee has been given the authority to “take all important decisions” and take other appropriate actions during the campaign against drugs, this is a welcome step. The establishment of this sub-committee will not only help in checking arbitrariness by the police and other government agencies, but will also serve to give the entire campaign the right direction.
The participation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab unit president Aman Arora, Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh, Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Rural Development Minister Taranpreet Singh Saund in the committee also gives it the political-administrative weight that is necessary to keep the police, excise and vigilance departments on track during the anti-drug war.
Apart from the formation of this sub-committee, the government has also started a series of ‘bulldozer justice’ against drug dealers and smugglers, under which the demolition of the houses of two alleged smugglers in Roop Nagar and Patiala districts was a hot topic in the media.
The police have a list of such smugglers and dealers who have built luxurious houses and other businesses with the illegal income from drugs. It is to be hoped that the series of ‘bulldozer justice’ will not be limited to a few; those with big bungalows will also come under its spell.
It is worth mentioning here that for the last 15-16 years, various governments of Punjab have been claiming great achievements in the campaign against drugs, but despite such alleged successes, the prevalence of drugs in the state has not reduced. One reason for this is that the rate of conviction or severe punishment of drug peddlers and smugglers by the courts is not more than 12 percent in proportion to the number of arrests. This fact is an indicator of the weakness of the government at the investigative or judicial level.
Have any steps been taken or are being taken in this context? It is also a fact that the drug trade and other illegal businesses are not deprived of political patronage. Our electoral system is such that a candidate’s vehicle cannot run without the wheels of wealth. These wheels and tires are often provided by those involved in illegal activities.
It is also common now that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not a milk-washer in this matter. This is the reason why many of its legislators or other office bearers have been embroiled in controversies for the last two and a half years. The AAP calls the ‘propaganda’ against it a part of the web of illusion being spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party. This accusation may be true, but AAP also needs to be vigilant about its own greed.
Punjab is in the grip of drugs, this fact cannot be ignored. It is also true that the prevalence and abundance of chemical drugs has made the work of the police more difficult. Not all drugs come from Pak-Afghan soil. Nowadays, most drugs are manufactured within our own areas by some unscrupulous pharmaceutical units.
Therefore, the government campaign needs to be diverted there as well. It is also necessary to launch a movement against smoking and chewing tobacco.
Such drug addiction paves the way for the consumption of more deadly drugs. Immediately after the ban was imposed in public places (and especially during the days of Covid-19), open smoking had reduced significantly. Now it has become commonplace again. Even outside police stations, people are commonly seen smoking. Public smoking is also a crime. Why so much laxity against it?
(For More News Apart Editorial: Punjab's Bold move: New Sub-committee led by FM Cheema to combat Drugs risk stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
