Ludhiana, August 3: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated on Sunday that the state’s ongoing campaign against illegal substances will continue uninterrupted until the issue is entirely resolved. Marking 500 days of the initiative, the Chief Minister affirmed that structured enforcement, expansion of rehabilitation facilities, and public awareness drives have significantly disrupted illicit supply networks across the region.
The state administration noted that public participation has played a pivotal role in strengthening community safety measures. The involvement of localized village defence committees has helped turn rural monitoring efforts into a broader civic initiative.
Addressing volunteers in Ludhiana during the anniversary of the village defence network, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared that approximately 70,000 individuals involved in the illegal trade have been apprehended over the past 500 days. He maintained that nearly 1.25 lakh volunteers across 13,000 villages are actively contributing to local prevention efforts, adding that these combined community movements will lead to the complete removal of the menace from the state.
The Chief Minister asserted that previous administrations had allowed the problem to take root, whereas current policies focus on restoring public welfare and advancing educational opportunities for youth.
Highlighting national benchmarks, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared that Punjab has achieved the top rank in primary and middle-school education according to national evaluation metrics. He affirmed that figures released by NITI Aayog confirm the state’s leading position in the sector, reflecting progress alongside achievements in competitive exams and merit-based recruitment.
