Chandigarh, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Central Government of failing to act on repeated requests from the state to strengthen laws against the misuse of prescription medicines and industrial chemicals, alleging that drug supply networks operating outside Punjab continued to pose a serious threat to the state’s youth.
Addressing a press conference, the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said Punjab had repeatedly approached the Centre for stronger legal provisions but had received no concrete response. He urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to explain what steps the Centre had taken to disrupt the supply chains allegedly operating in other states and across the international border.
Cheema said the Punjab Health Department had written to the Centre on October 31, 2025, and September 21, 2026, seeking the inclusion of certain prescription medicines in the schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh had also written to the Union Government on the issue, he said.
According to Cheema, medicines including Pregabalin, Gaba, Clomine, Tramadol, Zopiclone, Flu Practsol and Carisoprodols were being misused as intoxicants despite requiring a doctor’s prescription. He claimed that manufacturing facilities supplying such medicines were located in Haryana, Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and alleged that Punjab was not manufacturing the prescription drugs being misused in this manner.
“The main sources of synthetic and pharmaceutical drugs flooding Punjab are in states governed by the BJP and Congress, yet the Central Government has failed to take decisive action against those manufacturing and supplying these substances,” Cheema said.
Methanol deaths and demand for stricter legislation
The minister also recalled writing two letters to the Centre during his tenure as Excise and Taxation Minister, seeking stringent legislation to prevent the misuse of methyl alcohol, or methanol, which is intended for industrial purposes.
He criticised the response attributed to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, saying it referred to existing legislation, including the Inflammable Substances Act, 1952, the Petroleum Act, 1934, and the Poisons Act, 1919, instead of providing what he considered an effective solution.
Referring to methanol-related deaths in Sangrur and Majitha, Cheema said investigations had traced the chemical supply to Faridabad in Haryana. He claimed the Punjab Government had acted against the firms involved and sent those responsible to jail.
Questions over border security and anti-drone measures
With Amit Shah scheduled to visit Punjab, Cheema sought answers from the Union Government on cross-border drug smuggling and financial assistance for the state police.
He referred to the extension of the Border Security Force’s jurisdiction in Punjab to 55 kilometres during the Congress government’s tenure from 2017 to 2022, questioning why drug trafficking remained a major challenge despite the measure.
Cheema said the Punjab Government had sought financial assistance from the Centre to strengthen the Punjab Police but had not received the requested support. He added that the state had developed its own anti-drone system using its resources to counter alleged drug-trafficking operations involving drones from Pakistan.
“The Centre cannot continue to evade responsibility while the state government commits its resources and personnel to protecting the people of Punjab,” he said, urging the Union Government to take effective action against networks operating beyond the state’s borders.
Attack on BJP over drug policy
Cheema also accused the BJP-led government of prioritising political considerations over the need to strengthen laws addressing drug misuse. Drawing a comparison with the farm laws introduced by the Centre, he alleged that the government had shown greater urgency in passing those laws than in amending legislation to tackle the pharmaceutical drug menace.
He said the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, would continue its campaign against drug trafficking and would not allow political pressure or administrative obstacles to weaken its efforts.
The minister also referred to the case involving Parvinder Singh Jhota, saying the government stood with his family. He announced that the state government had decided to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following police action against the accused and in response to the family’s demand.
Cheema reiterated that the state would continue taking stringent action against those involved in drug trafficking, while calling on the Centre to strengthen the legal framework and cooperate in dismantling supply networks.
The allegations against the Centre and the claims regarding drug manufacturing and supply chains were made by Cheema at the press conference.
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