Opposition's remarks on drug menace maligning Punjab's image: CM Badal

Sangrur: Taking exception to statements by opposition parties on drug menace in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, on Thursday, said that instead of "maligning" the state, parties should join hands to support the state government in "fighting the battle".

Speaking on the sidelines of his 'Sangant Darshan' programme in Dhuri Assembly segment, he said that Punjab alone was fighting the nation's war against drugs despite it now being a "cosmopolitan" problem.

He asked all the political parties to join hands to extend support, rather than indulging in "false propaganda to malign" the state.

He alleged that few political parties are brushing aside the ground realities and were "bent upon to malign the hard working Punjabis through this malicious campaign".

He categorically said that no kind of drug was produced in Punjab.

"But when our state took on these bad elements sternly, unfortunately the opposition parties started maligning us," the chief minister added.

"Geographically Punjab was in close vicinity of international border and nefarious elements ventured hard to smuggle drugs like heroine freely across this route but their efforts were foiled by the state government's stringent step of breaking the supply line," he said.

Throwing light on the steps taken by the state government for rehabilitation of drug addicts, Badal said that our government was setting up drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in every district so as to enable the addicts to lead a happy life after having been detoxified.

He mentioned that such centres would be inaugurated at Hoshiarpur on June 26. Talking about the incidents of farmer suicides in the recent past across the state, the chief minister said it was a "deplorable and unfortunate situation because agriculture was no more a remunerative occupation".

He opined that the problems related to it must be addressed on the top most priority as agriculture was the backbone of the Indian economy. He pointed out that the fixation of prices of agriculture inputs and crops were within the control of Centre and it should immediately take remedial measures to ensure better remunerative prices to the farmers especially in the wake of decrease in margins of profit day by day.