Punjab Governor: Drugs Have Entered Schools and Children are Getting Addicted

The governor of Punjab, Banwarilal Purohit has said the drug menace in the state has reached a point where school children are getting addicted. He pointed out that these drugs are easily accessible to students who then get involved with gangs and said that the objective of his visit is not to blame anyone but to raise awareness,

Banwarilal Purohit is on a two-day tour of Punjab’s border villages where drugs are allegedly easily accessible as groceries. The governor will be visiting Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka, and Ferozepur during his two-day visit and will interact with sarpanches and other prominent local residents of the districts as he wants to get feedback from people on problems being faced by them.

In Pathankot, Purohit said, “It is a matter of worry. It is not the question of adults only. Drugs have entered schools and children are getting addicted. Parents are feeling helpless. Some children get addicted to the extent that they start stealing in their homes and we are getting several complaints in this regard. They get trapped in clutches of gangs who are dominating.”

He explained the objective of this trip is to make people understand and ware of the situation. He does not plan on blaming anyone. “I will praise administration and BSF that many (drug) seizures are taking place. But it (drug consignments) are getting caught, but many are not otherwise how is it reaching schools and villages. It is a matter of big worry. We need to strengthen our police stations,” he stated.

Talking about drugs being smuggled in from Pakistan, Purohit said that Pakistan would not date fight India directly which is why it is using drones and smuggling to send the contraband across the border. He said it is part of the proxy war against India. “I had talked of forming security committees (in border areas) in an earlier meeting. Officials have told me many security committees have been formed, but we need to strengthen these committees,” he added.

He also responded to the questions about the squabble with the Aam Aadmi Party in the past to which Purohit responded and said, “To protect Constitution, under which I have taken oath, is governor’s responsibility. If any work is not according to Constitution, then I tell the government you are doing wrong. Is anything wrong in that? Is this politics?”

Vineet Washington