Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann called a high-level meeting at the Punjab Police Academy on October 16 to review the state’s anti-drug campaign. With the 2027 polls approaching, officials will discuss hotspot micro-plans and logistical bottlenecks. Many senior officers must attend this session to address the persistent drug menace in Punjab.
CHANDIGARH: With three deadlines having passed to rid Punjab of drugs, one promised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the 2022 Assembly elections and two announced after it came to power, without the promised results, the issue is once again at the centre of the political stage.
With just four months remaining before the 2027 Assembly elections, the drug menace has resurfaced as a major political issue, a day after Opposition parties criticised the state government over the deteriorating law and order situation. The killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa has further brought the issue into focus.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has now called a review meeting at the Punjab Police Academy (PPA) in Phillaur on October 16 to review the implementation of ongoing anti-narcotics drives, the establishment of hotspot micro-plans, the identification of logistical bottlenecks and the adoption of an inter-departmental "whole-of-government" approach.
A large number of officials are expected to attend the meeting. These include senior civil administration officers such as the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, administrative secretaries, Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Magistrates. From the police department, the Director General of Police, Police Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, all Deputy Superintendents of Police and other officers have been directed to attend.
The drug problem, however, has persisted under the AAP government, with reports of drug-related deaths, accompanied by videos and images widely circulated on social media, continuing to fuel public anger even as the state government publicised the number of drug cases registered and accused arrested.
According to an official communication issued by the General Administration Department on Tuesday, the meeting is scheduled to be held from 10.30 am to 5 pm, subject to the Chief Minister's approval and availability. The review will focus on the progress of the anti-drug campaign, the implementation of key initiatives and coordination among departments.
The agenda includes a review of the 60-day hotspot campaign, coordination with district coordinators, the functioning of district and ward defence committees, best practices, success stories and the e-rickshaw campaign.
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The respective Deputy Commissioners have been directed to prepare district-wise presentations identifying drug hotspots in detail and outlining micro-plans to tackle the menace. These presentations must include action plans, progress over the preceding two weeks supported by data, major challenges and proposed solutions. The presentations are to be prepared in coordination with the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) of the districts and officers from other departments.
All districts will have to make presentations, and the government will seek updated data and coordinated action plans from the civil administration and police to assess the progress of the anti-drug campaign.
Every department has also been directed to highlight its drug awareness, rehabilitation, prevention, youth engagement, enforcement and community mobilisation initiatives. Departments have also been asked to nominate an officer who has made a notable contribution to the anti-drug campaign so that the official can be recognised, sources said.
Besides the DCs, ADCs, SDMs, Police Commissioners, SSPs and DSPs, other officers summoned from every district include Regional Transport Authority (RTA) officials, Civil Surgeons, Senior Medical Officers, Deputy Medical Commissioners, district employment generation and training officers, District Development and Panchayat Officers (DDPOs), Deputy CEOs of Zila Parishads, District Education Officers, District Sports Officers, principals of all government colleges, district social security officers, district programme officers, district public relations officers, Municipal Commissioners and executive officers (EOs) of municipal councils.
Among the senior officers directed to attend are the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Additional Chief Secretary (Transport), Additional Chief Secretary (Employment), Principal Secretary (Health), Principal Secretary (Social Security) and secretaries of the Rural Development, Sports, Local Bodies, School Education and Higher Education departments. The Special Secretary of Public Relations and all Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) have also been asked to attend.
A senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that officials had attended many such meetings convened by successive Chief Ministers, involving senior officers, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police. However, the officer said they could not recall a meeting to which such a large number of officials had been summoned.
"It will be the first kind of such meeting they have ever attended," the officer said.
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Before the 2022 Assembly elections, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal promised to eliminate drugs from Punjab within six months. In an interview with a private television channel, he even claimed that the menace could be eradicated within three to four months.
Later, while addressing the Independence Day function in Patiala, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a fresh deadline of August 15, 2023.
In March 2025, the government launched its 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh' campaign, setting May 31, 2025, as the deadline to eradicate the menace. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav repeatedly cited the target.
Four days after the deadline expired, Yadav announced that the Punjab Police had prepared a fresh roadmap to eliminate drugs through a two-pronged strategy: dismantling narcotics networks by targeting major suppliers and peddlers, while separating drug users from traffickers and encouraging users to undergo de-addiction treatment.
Meanwhile, while addressing a rally in Jalandhar on September 30, Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged Punjabis to give the BJP "one chance" (Ik Mauka) in the next Assembly election to make the state drug-free (chitta mukt). He set December 31, 2029, as the target date and said the BJP would contest the election "only and only" on this issue.