By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, March 16, (ANI): Expressing his concern over the drug addiction among youth, Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Sunday said that the State Police is doing everything to make Punjab a drug-free state.

Though people talk about the menace, but no one seems to be prepared to come forward and check it, said Majithia while addressing a gathering after watching the play called “Armaan” at the Guru Nanak Dev University here.

The play depicting the ill effects of drug abuse was organized by Punjab Police Border Zone, Amritsar along with the support of Punarjot, a centre for preservation and promotion of heritage of Punjab.

Impressed by the dramatization of the play, Majithia said that it had left him speechless and spellbound.

The minister suggested that the dramatization of similar kind of plays in every nook and corner of the city would help in generating mass awareness against the drug addiction.

Drug addiction if not checked in time, may lead to catastrophic consequences for the addicts, their families and the society, Majithia said.

He went on to say that the monster of drug addiction is playing havoc with youth.

It is crippling our society and robbing it of services of able bodied men and women, the minister said.

A majority of youth are taking drugs due to bad parenting and stressful upbringing, they feel isolated and face a dilemma for future so they seek drugs to take temporary solace from the ills of life, said Majithia.

He added that an emphatic and considerate family could help in fighting the evils of drugs and to pull out the addicts from the deadly dragnet of drugs.

Admitting that politicians and security forces have failed to curb the menace either by patronizing them or by letting them go scot-free, Majithia said: Enacting laws and policing won’t suffice the purpose, it can only marginally take care of the problem.

Lauding the efforts taken by Punjab Police Border Zone Amritsar and Health Minister Punjab Laxmi Kanta Chawala, Majithia released two posters for a a nationwide campaign against drug addiction.

Majithia also presented a cheque of Rs. 50,000 to Master Ajit Singh for his fight against drug addiction.

According to a survey conducted by the Department of Social Security Development of Women and Children, 67 per cent of rural households in Punjab have one drug addict and the problem is rampant particularly in Majha and Doaba region, said R P Meena, I.G. Police.

Parampal Singh, DIG, P.K.Rai, AIG, and Jairoop Singh Vice Chancellor Guru Nanak Dev University were also present during the occasion.

Brijmohan Khanna, Chairman Khanna Paper Mills, Manveen Sandhu, Principal, Dr. Shawinder Singh Sandhu, Iqbal Singh, SSP (Rural) and all the SSPs of Border Zone also watched the play. (ANI)