"No opium cultivation in Punjab", says Minister Harpal Cheema
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 9, 2025: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday ruled out any possibility of opium cultivation in the state, asserting a firm stand against narcotics. He said that opium is the root substance from which deadly drugs like heroin are derived, and therefore, allowing its cultivation is out of the question.
Cheema made the announcement while addressing media in Chandigarh and slammed Punjab Congress President Raja Warring, accusing him of promoting drug culture by demanding permission for opium farming.
“Opium cultivation will not be allowed in Punjab under any circumstances. It leads directly to the production of heroin and other dangerous narcotics. This government is committed to a drug-free Punjab,” said Cheema.
The Finance Minister alleged that Congress leaders are trying to gain attention by endorsing drug-linked demands and are indirectly encouraging those involved in the narcotics trade.
He further claimed that previous governments under the Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP were responsible for the alarming rise of drug abuse in the state.
“It was during the tenure of Congress and Akali-BJP governments that drugs were sown into Punjab’s soil. The AAP government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is now committed to uprooting this menace,” he added.