Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Conviction rate under NDPS Act in Rupnagar increase to 95%: Minister Harpal Cheema
Harpal Cheema reviews CASO operation at village Shampura
Babushahi Bureau
Rupnagar (Punjab), March 6, 2025: Punjab Government’s ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign is witnessing a tremendous response across the state, which is proving to be helpful in weed out drug smugglers including the supply chain of drugs has been broken on a large scale at ground zero.
These words were expressed by the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema during a special meeting with the civil and police administration officers held at District Administrative Complex Rupnagar.
On this occasion, the Cabinet Minister said that with the concrete efforts of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the conviction rate under the NDPS Act of the district Rupnagar has reached reach to 95 percent and this rate was 92 percent last year.
Whereas in the previous governments, the conviction rate was registered at the lowest level.
Cheema said that the supply of drugs has been stopped on a large scale in all districts of state, due to which the number of drug addicts have been coming to drug de-addiction centres and OOAT clinics for treatment.
He said that the prime aim of the Punjab government is to protect the youth of Punjab and pave a straight path for which it is necessary that standardised treatment is also provided to the patients suffering from drug addiction.
Therefore, instructions have already been issued to the health department to ensure that quality treatment services are provided to patients reaching government centres.
He also instructed the police and civil officers present in the meeting that if any complaint of any officer supporting drug smugglers comes to light, he will not be spared at any cost and appropriate departmental and legal action will be taken.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains ordered all SDMs and DSPs to form defence committees of all panchayats of Rupnagar district within a week, which will help the police department in taking legal action against drug smugglers and people who have been using drugs for a long time.
Before the meeting, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema inspected the CASO operation run by the police department in village Shampura and asked the police officers to take strict action and monitor every person with a criminal background.
On this occasion, he also met hockey coach Ranjit Singh, a resident of Shampura village, and the villagers who assured him of full support in the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign launched by the Punjab government. They praised the efforts of the Punjab government and said that the efforts being made to wean the youth from drugs are commendable.
Deputy Commissioner Shri Himanshu Jain informed the meeting that drug addicts are being admitted in Centre and if needed, a temporary centre with 60 beds is also being set up at the Youth Hostel so that patients coming for treatment will be cured.
Finance Minister directed the Health Department officials to conduct a special inspection of all the medical stores in the district to ensure that no banned and psychotropic medicine is sold. He asked to take strict action against those illegally distributing drugs through the medical profession.
In this meeting, MLA Advocate Dinesh Kumar Chadha, SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana, ADC (D) Chandrajyoti Singh, ADC (G) Pooja Sial Grewal, SP Rajpal Singh Hundal, SP Navneet Singh Mahal, Assistant Commissioner Arvinderpal Somal, CMFO Jasjit Singh, SDM Amrik Singh SDM Sukhpal Singh, SDM Sachin Pathak, SDM Anamjot Kaur, SDM Jaspreet Singh, Civil Surgeon Dr. Tarsem Singh, DSP Rajpal Singh DSP Ajay Singh, DSP Manjit Singh Aulakh, DSP Kulvir Singh and other senior officers were present