Sukhbir Badal instructs State police to collaborate with panchayats to identify drug addicts

Chandigarh, June 19, 2014: Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab has further fine tuned the war against drugs by issuing new directives to police department to collaborate with village panchayats and elected representatives in urban belts to identify drug addicts.

Presiding over a meeting on this issue yesterday evening, the Deputy CM said the government was determined to rehabilitate drug addicts and that the village panchayats could play a vital role in this venture. He asked DGP Sumedh Singh Saini to order district police officers to tie with village panchayats to identify drug addicts so that they could be rehabilitated in a phased manner.

Saini assured the Deputy CM that senior police officers had already undertaken village tours and were seized of the sociological side of the issue. “We will partner with village panchayats to de addict and even rehabilitate youth who have taken to drugs”, he added.

Asking Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, who is heading empowered committee, to purchase the requisite medicines, the Deputy CM emphasized that there should be no paucity of major medicines and plenty of stock should be available at 141 Community Health Centers. He also said doctors should be remain present at these CHCs to avert obstacles in de-addiction program.

Meanwhile taking stock of progress, Badal was apprised by the heath officers that there were 141 operational de-addiction centers and a proposal of setting up 22 rehabilitation centers was in progress. He said that these centers would be functional soon after completion of identification process equipped with trained counselors and expert staff. It has also been informed that 192 trained doctors have been deputed at all 141 CHCs to provide treatment and medication to addicts. Badal also directed health authorities to admit the serious addicts with debilitated conditions in government as well as private hospitals accordingly.

The Deputy CM also informed that the major medicines would be stocked in warehouses at Kharar, Bathinda and Verka, from where the supply to be made to all 141 CHCs. He also said that patients whose condition is seriously deteriorated can avail state sponsored hospitalization in any of the 600 beds available for this purpose.

Badal also directed that there both the civil and police administration should send daily reports on the progress done in their respective areas to the State level team of ADGP Law and Order Dinkar Gupta and Health Secretary Vinni Mahajan.