59 smugglers held, 1.6kg heroin seized

Mann urges people to support Yudh Nasian Virudh by sharing drug-related information

- HT Correspondent

LUDHIANA: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday issued a stern warning to drug peddlers, declaring that those who have destroyed the future of families by pushing their loved ones into the dark trap of addiction would face bulldozer justice.

"We won't allow these drug peddlers to illuminate their homes with 'deepmala (decorative lights)' while they ruin the lives of others," Mann said while addressing a gathering of school and college students in Ludhiana on Wednesday before flagging off the Walk Against Drugs campaign.

Nearly 6,000 students, including National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme units, marched through Ghumar Mandi in poll-bound Ludhiana West assembly constituency.

Mann administered a pledge to the students to stay away from drugs and help others break free from addiction. The students also pledged to inform the police about drug peddlers operating in their villages, neighbourhoods, and colonies.

Mann said that the Punjab government had been working on rooting out the drug problem for the past three years and had now launched its full-scale execution. He highlighted the role of opioid-opiate treatment (OOAT) centres and rehabilitation facilities in helping addicts reintegrate into society.