Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, issuing a warning on Saturday, stated that the grand houses of influential people involved in the drug trade will soon come crumbling down, and lists of such individuals have already been prepared. He said that the entire state of Punjab knows the names of these big players. He mentioned that he has instructed the DGP that even for those drug smugglers whose properties could not be demolished due to lack of permission, JCB machines should be sent outside their homes to instill fear in them.
Addressing members of the Village Defence Committee at the PAP Ground in Jalandhar on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that water is the lifeline of Punjab, and the state will not give its water to anyone else. He highlighted that in villages, murders occur over water disputes. Therefore, Punjab’s water cannot be forcibly taken away. During the tenure of previous governments, extra water was given to other states for 3-4 months, and they failed to keep track of water allocation.
On the issue of the water crisis in Punjab and the SYL (Sutlej-Yamuna Link) dispute, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that Punjab never wanted conflict, but battles have repeatedly been imposed on the state. After border disputes, Punjab has now been dragged into a fight over water. The Chief Minister said he personally visited the Nangal Dam and stopped the supply of excess water. Several districts in Punjab have fallen into the ‘dark zone,’ with groundwater levels dropping below 600 feet in some areas. In view of this severe crisis, the government has resolved to provide water to every field through canals. He emphasized that Punjab must now stand up for its water rights and take a strong stance against drugs, for which the government is prepared. Drug smugglers who push the youth toward death by supplying narcotics must be held accountable, and the Punjab Police is giving them a fitting response.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the government will provide free treatment for drug addicts. Drug-free villages will be developed as model villages, with special grants allocated by the government for development projects in these areas. He stated that panchayats have significant powers, and to raise awareness, the government has distributed books to them. In conclusion, the Chief Minister administered an oath to the members of the Village Defence Committee to make Punjab drug-free.
On this occasion, MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Raman Arora, Dinesh Dhall, MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann, MLA Balkar Singh, Mayor Vineet Dhir, Chairperson Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, and others were present. Meanwhile, at a Youth Club Leadership Program organized in Garhshankar, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, along with several other senior leaders, addressed the gathering. During the program, all the youth pledged that their team of 117 members would soon mobilize thousands and lakhs of young people to serve Punjab.
