Chandigarh: Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, who also serves as chairman of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh Cabinet Sub Committee,’ announced today that the Safe Punjab Portal has been instrumental in the registration of over 5,000 First Information Reports (FIRs) in a year. He said thst the portal, a WhatsApp chatbot launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in August 2024 to gather public information and tips on drug peddlers and hotspots, has achieved a commendable conversion rate of 32 percent, transforming public input into concrete police action.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the overwhelming public response to the WhatsApp chatbot, accessible at 9779100200, has positioned the Safe Punjab Portal as one of the nation's most effective public portals for police engagement. “The portal has become a vital source of intelligence and a potent weapon in the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, which was officially initiated on March 1, 2025, to intensify the state's efforts against drug trafficking”, he added.
Providing further details on the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign's success, the Finance Minister disclosed that since its inception, a total of 16,322 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of 25,552 individuals. He said that the state government has also taken decisive action against drug smugglers by demolishing 182 of their illegal properties. These efforts have resulted in major drug seizures, including 1,054 kg of heroin, 21,534 kg of poppy husk, 366 kg of opium, and over three million tablets, capsules, and pills.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema sharply criticized the previous SAD-BJP alliance, accusing it of patronizing the narcotics trade for a decade, and also pointed out the failure of the subsequent Congress government to take strong action against the drug menace between 2017 and 2022. He reiterated that the Aam Aadmi Party government has been on a mission to completely eradicate this problem since its first day in office, with the "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign designed to deliver the final blow. He highlighted that publicly known kingpins of the drug trade have been put behind bars, and the recent arrest of Joga Singh is expected to facilitate the capture of other key figures in the drug network.