Punjab CM announces drives against drugs by involving students
Ludhiana, Aug 15: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced special drives against the drug menace in the state by involving students, besides launching the second phase of a loan waiver scheme for farmers.
Speaking during Independence Day celebrations organised at the Guru Nanak Stadium here, the Chief Minister launched 'Tu Mera Buddy' programme to take the war against drugs to schools and colleges.
He called upon the people to take a pledge to wipe out the menace of drugs from the state to secure the healthy future of the coming generation.
Lauding the results of police's Special Task Force to check drug abuse in the state, the Chief Minister said 'Tu Mera Buddy' would further take the campaign to the grassroots.
The buddy project will be led by class teachers and will be supervised by principals and district education officers.
The Chief Minister reiterated his government's zero tolerance against drugs and warned that those involved in exploiting and ruining the youth would not be spared.
Nearly 20,000 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, involving about 22,000 drug peddlers and distributors, while the state is working to ensure forfeiture of illegally acquired property of drug traders and to secure death penalty for them, said the Chief Minister.
Expressing satisfaction over the positive results of 118 Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics started in the State for regular treatment of addicts, the Chief Minister said another 80 such clinics would be set up by September.
He said 26,000 addicts have been treated so far in these clinics and the OPD footfall has been more than 5.3 lakh.
Unveiling the Bhai Ghanhya Sehat Sewa Scheme, the Chief Minister handed over cards to some of the beneficiaries of the scheme, aimed at providing cashless healthcare facilities and treatment to members of the cooperative societies and their families across the state.
Every beneficiary is entitled to cashless treatment up to Rs 2 lakh on family floater basis in any approved hospital and on reimbursement basis in any government hospital in Punjab.
Launching the second phase of the debt waiver scheme, the Chief Minister handed over waiver certificates to 10 farmers to extend to them the benefit of outstanding loan waiver of commercial banks up to Rs 2 lakh.
The debt waiver scheme would cover crop loan disbursed to farmers by scheduled commercial banks, cooperative credit institutions, including urban cooperative banks and regional rural banks, collectively called as the lending institutions'.
The Chief Minister said these farmers were expected to be provided total relief of Rs 1,000 crore.
In order to manage the crop residue, the Chief Minister kickstarted a scheme to provide subsidised agri machinery, which would be helpful to curb the trend of stubble burning.
Singh earlier unfurled the national flag at the event where more than 2,000 students participated.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
