On I-Day, Punjab CM seeks freedom from drug menace

Launches ‘Tu Mera Buddy’ programme to take the message to the grassroots

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh administrator V.P. Singh Badnore greets people during Independence Day celebrations in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday launched the ‘TuMera Buddy’ programme to tackle the problem of drugs in the State.

Captain Amarinder, who unfurled the national flag at the Guru Nanak Stadium here in Ludhiana, urged the people to take a vow to stamp out the drug menace. The programme, he said, would take the campaign against drugs to the grassroots through schools and colleges. The ‘Tu Mera Buddy’ programme would be led by class teachers and supervised by the principals and District Education Officers, he said.

Following the good response to 118 Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment Clinics, 80 more such clinics would be set up by September, the Chief Minister said. Over 26,000 addicts have so far been treated in these clinics and the OPD footfall has been more than 5.3 lakh.

Capt. Amarinder also handed over certificates to 10 farmers for waiver of loans up to ₹2 lakh from commercial banks. “The debt waiver scheme will cover crop loans taken from scheduled commercial banks and cooperative credit institutions, including urban cooperative banks and regional rural banks, collectively called the ‘lending institutions’,” he said.

He announced a slew of development projects worth over ₹3,600 crore for Ludhiana district, ranging from infrastructure to water supply and industries to education. He announced allocation of ₹1,469 crore for a project to shift from the current groundwater supply to 24x7 surface water supply. The project, he said, was approved in-principle by the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and was posted to World Bank/Asian Development Bank for external financing.

In-principle approval was also received for the establishment of a Civil Enclave at Air Force Station Halwara, the Chief Minister said.

Key decisions

In other key decisions, Captain Amarinder announced setting up of a 30-bed hospital at Doraha in the memory of former Chief Minister Beant Singh. Further, ₹64 lakh would be provided for setting up a 10-bed mini-PHC at Jhorda village in memory of late Havildar Ishwar Singh of 36 Sikh Regiment, who fought in the famous battle of Saragarhi Fort, he added.

(With PTI inputs)