Punjab Honors Grassroots Volunteers Of The ‘War Against Drugs’ On Independence Day

Chandigarh: On the occasion of Independence Day, the Bhagwant Mann government honored members of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and Ward Defence Committees (WDCs) who contributed to the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign. These felicitation ceremonies marked the beginning of a structured two-week action and review process, which will culminate on August 31 with a state-level review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister.

To extend this initiative of the Bhagwant Mann government to all levels of administration, activities related to the ‘War Against Drugs’ will be prominently included in all ceremonies held on national days and other significant government occasions. A decision to this effect was taken during a state-level function chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on August 2.

What is the 'War Against Drugs' Initiative?

Under this initiative, outstanding members of VDCs and WDCs were honored across the state for their remarkable contributions to Punjab's fight against drugs. This recognition serves as a vital means to encourage those working at the community level to transform Punjab into a drug-free state.

At What Levels Will this Initiative Work?

At the district level, Deputy Commissioners honored Assembly Coordinators and Vice Assembly Coordinators, while at the sub-division level, Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) honored Block Coordinators.

At the village level, special programs were organized in various schools and gram panchayats, where Sarpanchs and community members honored VDC members for their efforts towards building a drug-free Punjab. Instructions have been issued to the Deputy Commissioners of all 23 districts to identify deserving members of Village and Ward Defence Committees who have contributed to and actively participated in advancing the objectives of the 'War Against Drugs' (*Yudh Nashean Viruddh*).

This felicitation initiative is part of a comprehensive plan issued by the office of the State Nodal Officer for the anti-drug campaign. The plan envisages a detailed two-week-long drive aimed at integrating community feedback into regular administrative and police reviews.

When Will this Initiative take Place?

From August 16 to 25, meetings of Village Defence Committees will be held in every village. During these meetings, the committees will review complaints related to drug trafficking, examine the action taken by the police and administration on previous complaints, monitor the status of pending cases, and offer new suggestions and feedback.

Subsequently, the process will move to the district level. Between August 26 and 29, Cabinet Ministers will preside over district-level review meetings, attended by administrative and police officials, Health Department representatives, and coordinators from the district, assembly, and block levels. These meetings will review the feedback received from the villages and determine the course of future action.

The entire process will culminate on August 31 with a state-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. At this meeting, the government will review district-wise progress and formulate an action plan for the next phase of the campaign.

Independence Day served as the first major platform to honor community members working on the front lines of the anti-drug campaign; through this, the government is transforming the initiative from a mere enforcement drive into a sustained mass movement against drugs.