Reported by: Gurpreet Singh Chhina
Punjab’s Mann government is putting its “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign and broader governance record at the centre of its grassroots outreach.
The strategy is aimed at highlighting government action against drugs while also showcasing its welfare and development initiatives. The government is projecting a five-point anti-drug strategy covering police enforcement, prevention in schools, youth engagement, community vigilance, and rehabilitation. Bhagwant Mann’s door-to-door campaign began from Dhuri, with the chief minister seeking to take the government’s achievements directly to households.
Police Action: Between March 2025 and September 2026, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force registered 61,824 FIRs and arrested 81,433 people. The government says the seizures included 3,918 kg heroin, 991 kg opium, 47 tonnes poppy husk, 1,416 kg ganja and 65 lakh tablets and capsules. Village Vigilance: Around 1.25 lakh members have joined nearly 15,000 Village and Ward Defence Committees. The government says more than 51,000 citizen tip-offs through the Safe Punjab WhatsApp Helpline have contributed to over 25,000 drug-related arrests. Treatment: Punjab currently has 547 OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) centres, 219 de-addiction centres, and 91 rehabilitation centres. Admissions to government de-addiction and rehabilitation centres increased from over 12,200 in 2024 to nearly 34,000 in 2025, according to government figures.
With the BJP taking its anti-drug campaign to the ground through its statewide “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra”, the Aam Aadmi Party has amended its political outreach strategy, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann now taking the government’s report card directly to people through a door-to-door campaign. In response, the Mann government is putting its “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign and broader governance record at the centre of its grassroots outreach.
