MANDIANI (DAKHA): After villagers, led by a woman sarpanch, started a campaign against drug trade in Mandiani, the Ludhiana police booked seven peddlers in the past about a month.
Disregarding party affiliation, cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had felicitated the Congress sarpanch earlier this month. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ludhiana (rural), Harjeet Singh, while confirming the booking of seven peddlers under the NDPS Act, lauded the efforts of the sarpanch, but said the drug problem in the village was not huge.
However, villagers said they have paid a heavy price for drugs.
“The drug trade was going on in our village for a long time and many peddlers would come here to sell the contraband. In seven to eight years, around 15 persons have died of drugs. After I was elected the sarpanch on December 29, 2018, we held a meeting with the youth. We lodged a complaint against drug abuse with the authorities concerned but no action was taken. Then around a month ago, we blocked the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road near the village,” said 35-year-old Gurpreet Kaur, who did her graduation from Government College, Malerkotla.
“Dakha SHO asked us to lift the highway blockade and promised action. Then we went to the homes of persons who sold drugs and caught many of them. Small pouches of drugs (chitta), computerised scale and Rs 1.35 lakh drug money were recovered from them. Recoveries also included rings, gold chains, gold anklets and even headphones,” she said.
Villagers said the recovered jewellery might have been given to peddlers by addicts, who may have stolen it from their families for purchase of drugs.
“Thrice, addicts stole the iron bend of a motor in my field. Besides, they also steal iron gates, wires, among others, and sell in the market for buying drugs,” said Sukhwinder Singh Billu, a farmer from the village. He added that to protect his only son, he remains with him all the time.
The villagers said the menace has slightly decreased after their crusade. “Now the authorities are also supporting us. Earlier, when the suppliers came to the village to sell drugs, there was a marriage-like scene. Around a thousand persons would make rounds of the village for drugs. Recently, the police arrested more than 10 drug peddlers of the village, so we don’t see many people coming here for drugs now,” said villager Jasbir Singh. He added that they sit at certain locations in the village to keep a watch on any such activity.
The villagers said whenever they get information about a peddler, they inform the police. A villager said even as police were helping in checking the problem, the villagers were also keeping a vigil.
Sarpanch feted
On August 19, Punjab rural development, panchayats and agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had felicitated Mandiani village sarpanch Gurpreet Kaur of the Congress for launching a crusade against drugs in her village. He had said that Gurpreet Kaur was an inspiration for others. Dhaliwal said a person from any political party, who was working for the betterment of society, would be honoured by the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government. He had assured full support and cooperation to the panchayats for wiping out the drug problem and had assured comprehensive development of all villages.
Reacting to the appreciation received from the minister, Gurpreet Kaur said this was the first time that a minister of the ruling party had lauded a leader from the opposition party. She added that the crusade was possible only with the help of villagers.
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