Hoshiarpur/ June 19 /Daljeet Ajnoha
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh stated that Hoshiarpur district is leading the way in the state’s campaign against drugs. He said the combined efforts of district administration, police department, and elected representatives have made this campaign highly effective at the grassroots level. Dr. Singh was speaking to the media after reviewing the “Rangla Punjab” development scheme, the anti-dengue and chikungunya measures, and the anti-drug campaign at a meeting held in the district administrative complex. Present on the occasion were Tanda Urmur MLA Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, Dasuya MLA Karamvir Singh Ghuman, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik, Mayor Surinder Kumar, Vice Chairman of Punjab Industrial Development Board Dr. Harvinder Singh Bakhshi, and several other senior officials.
Before the meeting, Dr. Balbir Singh visited the rehabilitation centre in Hoshiarpur, where the bed capacity has been tripled. He said that along with treatment, patients are being engaged in yoga, sports, and employment-oriented training programs to help them rebuild their lives. Trained counselors are providing regular psychological support. During his visit, he interacted with patients and motivated them to overcome addiction and start a new life. Speaking about the “Rangla Punjab” scheme, the minister said that both MLAs from Tanda and Dasuya have submitted development project proposals to the government, and work will soon begin in those areas. Through this initiative, infrastructure will be developed in villages and localities, generating new employment opportunities at the local level.
On the prevention of dengue and chikungunya, Dr. Singh noted a significant decrease in cases over the past two years. The health department has trained 1,200 ASHA workers and 1,100 nursing students who are raising awareness among the public about mosquito larvae and vector-borne diseases. He said special attention is being given to hotspot areas, and anti-dengue activities are being implemented more effectively. Outstanding ASHA workers and nursing students will be honoured, and students who identify mosquito larvae in schools will also be rewarded. He emphasized that all departmental staff should be trained to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sources.
Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain informed the minister that nearly 3,000 patients have been successfully treated at the rehabilitation centre so far. To help patients regain self-reliance, courses in salon work, horticulture, food and craft, and electrician training are being conducted. Five batches of the salon course, four batches of food craft, and one batch of the electrician course have already been completed successfully. Patients are also being trained in mushroom cultivation and horticulture. Currently, 16 Outpatient Opioid Treatment (OOT) clinics are operational in the district, with over 9,300 registered patients, and more than 3,000 have already received treatment.
Providing an update on the anti-drug campaign, SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik said that between March 1 and June 18, a total of 462 FIRs were registered and 650 accused were arrested. During this period, ₹9.55 lakh of drug money was seized, and property worth ₹37.41 crore was frozen. In addition, 1,080 awareness meetings have been conducted, and 260 locations were checked as part of 34 cordon and search operations.
Also present on the occasion were Mukerian Constituency In-Charge Prof. G.S. Multani, Chairman of Hoshiarpur Cooperative Bank Vikram Sharma Babbi, Councillor Rajeshwar Dayal Babbi, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Nikas Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amarbir Kaur, SP Major Singh, SDM Hoshiarpur Gursimranjit Kaur, SDM Dasuya Kanwaljit Singh, SDM Garhshankar Harbans Singh, SDM Tanda Parampreet Singh, Civil Surgeon Dr. Pawan Kumar, along with officials from various departments.
