Chandigarh, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday directed the police and civil administration to intensify ground-level action against drug peddlers, suppliers and smugglers as the state’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign enters its final phase.
Chairing a high-level review meeting, Mann interacted virtually with Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police, Senior Superintendents of Police, IGPs and DIGs from across Punjab. He reviewed the progress of the anti-drug campaign, the functioning of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), police action against smugglers and the mechanism for acting on complaints received from the grassroots.
“The ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ (war against drugs) is in its final phase, and the police must now intensify action at the ground level. The time has come for the final assault, and drug hotspots, if any, at the ground level need to be targeted for better results,” the Chief Minister said.
Mann said the government would not rest until drugs were completely eradicated from Punjab, stressing the need to build a state where the younger generation can live free from the scourge of narcotics.
He said 14,846 Village Defence Committees with 74,230 active members are currently functioning across Punjab. Of these, 3,808 committees comprising 36,814 members are active in border areas, where community participation is particularly important in identifying and disrupting drug-smuggling networks.
The Chief Minister said feedback received from VDCs had increased by 41% across the state, reflecting growing public participation in the campaign. He added that complaints received through the committees were being followed up by the police, with action initiated against alleged drug smugglers.
“Since January this year, as many as 4,129 FIRs have been registered and 5,589 drug smugglers have been arrested on the basis of complaints received from VDCs,” Mann said.
He also highlighted the role of the Safe Punjab App, saying that during the past more than one year, around 19,310 FIRs had been registered and 25,138 drug smugglers arrested on the basis of complaints received through the platform.
Mann said these figures showed that the campaign had moved beyond police stations and government offices and had evolved into a people’s movement involving villages and local communities.
While asserting that the government had succeeded in weakening the drug supply network, the Chief Minister cautioned officers against lowering their guard until the last link of the supply chain was eliminated.
“Drug peddlers, suppliers and smugglers must understand that there is no place for them in Punjab and the state government will take strict action against them,” he said.
Mann directed officials to strengthen the VDC feedback mechanism and ensure swift action on genuine information received from the grassroots. At the same time, he stressed that VDC members must function responsibly and maintain proper conduct while performing their duties.
He asked senior police officers to identify effective practices being followed in their respective districts so that successful models in the fight against drugs could be replicated across Punjab.
The Chief Minister also announced that he would personally hold meetings with Station House Officers (SHOs) to review the anti-drug campaign at the police-station level. He said accountability and performance at the police-station level would be strengthened, describing the SHO as the key operational link between the police administration and people at the grassroots.
“The fight against drugs will be won on the ground in our villages, streets and neighbourhoods,” Mann said, calling upon police and civil officers to remain alert and maintain continuous coordination with VDCs and citizens.
Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora, Harpal Singh Cheema, Dr Balbir Singh, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Hardeep Singh Mundian and Barinder Goyal, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, DGP Gaurav Yadav and other senior officials were also present at the meeting.
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