CHANDIGARH, Aig 4— The Punjab government is set to roll out the second phase of its anti-drug initiative, Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh 2.0, aiming to enlist public participation in curbing drug trafficking and abuse across the state.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will launch the new phase in Ludhiana on Monday, where the first grassroots-level defence committees will be formally initiated. Each committee, made up of 10 to 20 members, will function as a community watch group, working alongside the police to monitor, deter and report drug-related activities in their neighborhoods.
“These committees will be our eyes and ears on the ground,” Mann said. “The fight against drugs can’t be won by police alone—it needs the power and vigilance of the people.”
The committees will be set up in every village and urban ward across Punjab. According to officials, preference will be given to retired soldiers, teachers, and former government officials—individuals seen as credible, disciplined and rooted in their communities.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who chairs the five-member cabinet panel overseeing the campaign, said the second phase shifts the focus from enforcement alone to citizen engagement. “We dismantled significant parts of the supply chain in the first phase. Now, the public will help us prevent it from rebuilding,” Cheema said.
The original Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh campaign was launched in March, targeting smugglers and peddlers through intensified police operations. Since its inception, law enforcement has arrested 24,499 individuals linked to drug trafficking, state data shows.
Officials confirmed that the village- and ward-level defence model was developed following community feedback and data analysis. The idea, they said, is to create a deterrent effect through local vigilance, while also empowering communities to take ownership of the anti-drug movement.
“Drugs are not just a law enforcement issue. They’re a social challenge that affects families, schools, and entire generations,” said a senior official involved in the campaign. “This model puts responsibility—and power—back into the hands of the people.”
With Punjab grappling with a long-standing drug problem, the Mann government has made the anti-drug fight a central part of its governance agenda. The new approach aims not only to curb trafficking but also reduce local demand by fostering collective responsibility.
The administration expects the defence committees to become
