I’m after bigwigs of drug trade, won’t harass small users, says Amarinder

Ruchika Khanna and Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he was after the bigwigs in drug trade and no small users would be harassed, as was the case during the Badal government when they launched a crackdown on drugs.

He also clarified that there would be no red beacons for ministers. There was confusion on the issue after an order was passed on Tuesday.

While addressing a press conference here, the CM said the person who issued the note on Tuesday would be removed.                        

Amarinder said he had not nominated any person in the STF for drugs; only Harpreet Sidhu had been nominated. He asked the media to cross-check their facts with the government.                       

The CM said the security withdrawal of VIPs was based on inputs received from the Centre. Besides, he wanted                        

to have maximum police in the field. He said all policemen would be given eight-hour shifts.

While talking about the Tribune report on sending notices to farmers who owed money to banks, the CM said orders had already been issued to all banks not to make any recoveries.                        

Amarinder said a vigilance inquiry would be ordered into the legacy foodgrain account scam of Rs 31,000 crore; an investigation by a third-party auditor would first be done.                       

He said the cash credit limit (CCL) for wheat would be released soon.

The Chief Minister said they were trying to strengthen the drug rehab centres and they would work in tandem with the STF.                        

He said a law would be enacted to deal with the farmers’ debts. The new law would be tabled in the next session of the Vidhan Sabha, he added.

On desecration incidents, the investigation would continue, he said.

Before the budget session, the white paper would be out, he added.  

The CM said all teachers of primary schools would be posted in their home districts.       

He said telephone, debt waiver and jobs for one person in each household would be implemented this year itself. The Captain said the budget might not have provision for this, but out-of-the-box ideas would help them implement these three decisions in this year.