Chandigarh: Claiming that Punjab is fighting a final and decisive battle against drugs, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced the recruitment of 10 ,000 personnel in the Punjab Police to strengthen the crackdown on drug trafficking . He also said the state govt was in talks with the Centre to make the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act more stringent.




Addressing a first-of-its-kind ‘ SHO Milni ’ at Phillaur to appreciate police officers for their role in the anti-drug campaign, Mann said the police had been given a free hand to take lawful action against drug traffickers. He urged officers to carry people along while intensifying action against the menace.




Mann said the govt’s ‘ Yudh Nashean Virudh ’ campaign had evolved into a mass awareness movement across Punjab. He added that the police force would soon be strengthened with the induction of 450 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) and 3,400 other personnel.




In a post on X, Mann said: “Today, I held an important meeting with Punjab Police officers, from the DGP to the SHO, at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy , Phillaur. Under the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign, we have given the police complete freedom to take strict action against drug smugglers. Along with providing state-of-the-art facilities to the force, we are also going to undertake 10,000 new recruitments without any recommendation or favour.”




Addressing police personnel, the chief minister said he and the director general of police were directly engaging with SHOs to understand their working conditions, listen to their concerns and formulate measures for their welfare.




He said the state govt was strengthening the operational capabilities of the Punjab Police by providing CCTV systems, anti-drone technology, modern vehicles and other advanced infrastructure. “Modern policing is essential because the networks involved in drug trafficking and organised crime are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” he said.