Rash Bndan Greetings August 26 2 Punjab Advance August 2016 Editorial he people’s Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, is going Twhole hog with his dream project of making Punjab drug free. His war cry is loud and clear “Death for the drug mafia who have ruined the health of Punjab youth.” The war cry has been picked up by Punjabis from all sections of society, be they artistes, youth, sportspersons, villagers, who are pooling in to make it a mass movement. Yes, the fight has begun. Hurdles are coming his way, but the Fauji CM is determined to end the drug menace. Seventeen months after taking oath in March, 2017, drug abuse has become the main focus of attention. The priorities have changed, from water to drugs, in the wake of the widespread impact of the drug menace. Punjab being a border state faces a big challenge from narcotics terrorism, a proxy war being waged by Pakistan to weaken the youth of this once robust border state. Yes, drug abuse prevails more in border districts like Fer - ozepur, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Amritsar. The youth are be - coming victims of narco-terrorism, which is impacting the economic growth of the state. The state is entitled to the Special Category Status under the National Health Protection Scheme which will enhance central funding for the state. Special category states such as Jammu and Kashmir, hilly and northeastern states get 90 per cent Union Gov - ernment funding in central schemes as against 60 per cent for gen - eral category states. August- 2018 Punjab Advance 3 Contents Punjab Advance www.punjabadvanceonline.com Death for the drug mafia LAUGUST - 2018 LVOL-5 L ISSUE-8 C.E.O. N Anindita Mitra (IAS) Editor N Donald Banerjee Designer N Arun Kumar Sharma Publisher N Information & Public Relations Department, Punjab 06 Contact address N Rush at deaddiction PUNJAB ADVANCE, Room No. 1, 5th Floor, centres Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh-160001 Ph. : 0172-2740668 [email protected] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors in the articles published in PUNJAB ADVANCE are their own. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Punjab Government or the organization they work for. Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or expand the articles submitted. In case of any dispute, legal 9 jurisdiction will lie in Chandigarh based courts. Published and Edited by Ms. Anindita Mitra (IAS) on behalf of the Information and Public Voice of the common man Relations Department, Punjab at Room No. 1, 5th Floor, Civil Sectt., Chandigarh. Gurdial Singh (1933-2016) Page-42 4 Punjab Advance August- 2018 Rs 32,82 cr relief Drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh for crop damage returns 30 16 Villagers convert garbage dumps into green parks Organic farming gaining ground in Punjab 35 Govt primary schools wear a new look 20 Prevent great toe deformity Page-44 40 August- 2018 Punjab Advance 5 Cover Death for the drug mafia l CM’s war cry turns into a mass movement l Village fields become keep-fit parks l Punjabi artistes join the crusade l ‘Theekri Pehras’ keep peddlers at bay Donald Banerjee nough is enough” is focused. “E The Captain has taken the war against drugs into “Death for the drug mafia who have the Centre’s court demanding death for drug smug - ruined the health of Punjab youth”….. glers and peddlers for the very first offence. And the The Chief Minister’s war cry is loud entire cabinet has backed the Chief Minister’s death and clear as he sets his sights on a drug- penalty recommendation. free and ‘Tandrust Punjab’. He is deter - The war against drugs was second on the priority mined to end the drug menace. Yes, 17 list after water when the government took charge, but months after taking oath last year drug the priorities have changed in the wake of the wide - abuse has become the single point spread impact of the drug abuse in the state. around which the entire state machinery The Captain’s anti-drug war cry has been picked up by Punjabis from all sections of so - ciety, be they artistes, youth, sportsper - sons, villagers, who are pooling in to make it a mass movement. Not to be left behind actors, singers, directors and producers of Pollywood (Punjabi Cinema) have joined the cru - sade along with their legion of fans. A group of Punjabi artistes met the Chief Minister and assured him of their total support in his dream mission of a drug- free and robust Punjab. Being a Fauji himself, Capt 6 Punjab Advance August- 2018 Cover Amarinder Singh took the disciplined cadets of the NCC into his fold. During a high-level meeting with Drug awareness in schools senior NCC officers, he underlined the scope for har - nessing the massive potential of the disciplined NCC To make school students aware about the drug cadets in the government’s fight against drug abuse. menace, the state Education Department has incor - Reports are being received from all over the state porated chapters on ill-effects of drugs in school textbooks. It has been done as part of a special how villagers have taken upon themselves to end the health awareness campaign for the students of gov - drug menace. In several far flung areas the villagers ernment schools in the state. have started taking out ‘Theekri Pehras’ to nab drug An official spokesperson said, “School students peddlers and drug addicts. The Chief Minister has wel - must be aware about the health issues because if comed the involvement of the people, but has told the they are healthy, they will concentrate on their stud - authorities to see that the ‘pehredaars’ do not take the ies and attend their classes regularly.” law into their hands. He added that the school curriculum had been Planting of saplings and conversion of vast open revised and contents on ill-effects of drugs have fields into green parks is the order of the day in several been incorporated in the books. villages of Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Patiala and Mansa. Essay reading and poem recitation by students These parks have become ‘keep fit’ areas for the youth and small lectures by teachers are held in the morn - and the elderly. ing assembly to generate awareness among students In one village in Bathinda, the district authorities against drugs and other health issues. along with the help of the villagers have converted a The spokesperson said students of Classes IX to XII were also educated about the adverse effects of large marshy pond into a treated water reservoir. drugs and harm caused by intoxicants. The good news on the sports front is the inclusion of eight robust Punjab youth into the 18-member India hockey team for the Asian Games to be held in In - August- 2018 Punjab Advance 7 Cover donesia in August. This is clear evidence of the state “We have come to this conclusion after a compre - regaining its status of being the Mecca of hockey. hensive discussion and feel that resultant deterrence of Believing that it is a widespread problem cutting provisions of death penalty in the Act ibid, will help us across social and other strata, the people’s Chief Min - in effectively containing if not eliminating the drug ister decided that all government employees and po - peddlers and mafia operating not only in Punjab, but lice personnel should undergo a dope test periodically. also in other parts of the country,” he elaborated. The mandatory dope test will be for all government “Given the magnitude of the problem, which had been employees, including po - denied during the last many lice personnel, from the years, these enforcement time of recruitment measures though yielding through every stage of results, need to be further their service. It will also strengthened. In this direc - be part of the annual med - tion, it is felt that the exist - ical exam that certain em - ing drug prevention and ployees are required to control laws should be re - undergo in accordance visited to provide for more with the nature of their deterrent punishment to the duties. offenders,” Capt Amarinder Leading from the Singh wrote. front, like a true Fauji, he He mentioned the meas - offered to take the dope ures already taken by his test, a challenge flung at government to enforce the him by political rivals, but hastened to add that he existing laws to prevent drug abuse as also to ensure would leave it to the conscience of other elected rep - rehabilitation and de-addiction of those who indulge resentatives to take their own decision. in it. “The intensive action plan unfolded and executed The Punjab cabinet called for stronger laws against by us during the last over a year has resulted in arrest drug peddlers and smugglers by the Centre. It unani - of 18,977 drug peddlers and treatment of more than 2 mously decided to seek the Centre's help to tackle the lakh drug victims,” he has pointed out. The chief min - menace. Later the chief minister wrote to Union Home min - ister said more than 3,977 NDPS convicts and 5,610 ister Rajnath Singh, communicating the cabinet's rec - NDPS undertrials were in different prisons of the state. ommendation, and sought amendment of the Narcotic He also mentioned the Drug Abuse Prevention Of - Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which ficers’ Prevention (DAPOs) Programme, which is while providing death penalty for a second time of - aimed at effective participation of civil society in pre - fence, lets off the first time offenders. “This means that vention of drug abuse in the state.