Punjab government will soon carry out the first-ever "drug census" in Punjab to understand the prevalence of drugs by collecting data on drug addiction, de-addiction centres and the socio-economic status of the affected people.
Focussing on tackling drug menace, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday presented a Rs 2.36trillion FY26 Budget for the state.
"It is the primary responsibility of the Centre to halt cross-border smuggling of drugs and arms… We have now decided to complement the efforts of BSF by undertaking two initiatives to completely block cross-border smuggling of drugs,” Cheema said while presenting the state Budget for the fourth time.
"The drug census will cover every household and will collect data to understand the prevalence of drugs, the usage of de-addiction centres and on the socio-economic status of the people of Punjab. The government will spend Rs 150 crore on this initiative," Cheema said.
The Punjab government will extend the health insurance scheme with an annual cap of Rs 10 lakh to all households in the 'Badalta Punjab Budget".
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the drug census announced in the state Budget 2025-26 was a bold step towards a drug-free state, aimed at creating a 'Badalta Punjab' (changing Punjab) and not 'Udta Punjab' (Punjab on a high).
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