Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit writes to CM Mann on drug issue; tells him to respond to his letters

PTC Web Desk: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday lashed out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for "deterioration of law and order in the state". He sought an urgent report from CM Mann detailing the measures he has implemented to address the widespread issue of drug trade.

Besides, Governor Banwarilal Purohit cautioned the Punjab Chief Minister, emphasising the need for timely responses to his communications.

In a letter to Bhagwant Mann, Purohit mentioned that he had been informed by multiple agencies about extensive presence and misuse of drugs in Punjab. He noted that the accessibility of drugs, even in pharmacies, had become widely known. He also highlighted a concerning development where these substances were being distributed through government-regulated liquor outlets.

The Punjab Governor also made a mention about recent action by the Narcotics Control Bureau and Chandigarh Police, which sealed 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana for selling drugs.

He highlighted the findings of a recent report from the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which revealed that one out of every five persons in Punjab is either exposed to drugs or grappling with addiction. These statistics underscore the alarming deterioration of the law and order framework within Punjab. The situation has escalated to the extent that villagers are now engaging in significant street protests and taking matters into their own hands by establishing village defense committees to shield themselves from the drug menace, he pointed out.

“Bound as I am by the duty placed on the Governor under the Constitution to see that the administration is carried on a level which would be regarded as good, efficient, impartial and honest, and that the proposals enunciated by the government are not contrary to the law of the land, I, therefore, advise you, warn you and ask you to respond to my letters and give me the information sought,” he said in the letter written to Bhagwant Mann.

The Governor said “Before I take the final decision regarding sending a report to the President under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters referred to above, as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the state, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution,” he said.