“Safe Punjab” Portal Drives Over 5,000 FIRs in Anti-Drug Campaign: Harpal Cheema
Chandigarh, August 12
Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, who also chairs the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh Cabinet Sub Committee,’ announced that the Safe Punjab Portal has facilitated the registration of over 5,000 First Information Reports (FIRs) within a year. The WhatsApp chatbot, launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in August 2024 to collect public tips on drug peddlers and hotspots, has achieved an impressive 32 percent conversion rate, turning public information into tangible police action.
Speaking at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema stated that the overwhelming response to the Safe Punjab Portal’s WhatsApp chatbot (9779100200) has made it one of India’s most effective platforms for public-police collaboration. “The portal has become a critical source of intelligence and a powerful tool in the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, launched on March 1, 2025, to escalate the state’s fight against drug trafficking,” he said.
Detailing the success of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, Cheema revealed that since its launch, 16,322 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, resulting in 25,552 arrests. The state government has also demolished 182 illegal properties belonging to drug smugglers. Significant drug seizures include 1,054 kg of heroin, 21,534 kg of poppy husk, 366 kg of opium, and over three million tablets, capsules, and pills.
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Cheema criticized the previous SAD-BJP alliance for enabling the drug trade for a decade and highlighted the Congress government’s failure to address the issue effectively from 2017 to 2022. He emphasized that the Aam Aadmi Party government has been committed to eradicating the drug menace since day one, with the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign aimed at delivering a decisive blow. He noted that prominent drug kingpins are now behind bars, and the recent arrest of Joga Singh is expected to lead to further breakthroughs in dismantling drug networks.
