Himachal Pradesh News
Himachal Pradesh News : ‘Chitta-free Himachal’ becomes people’s movement, Rs 50 crore drug assets seized: CM Sukhu
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the ‘Chitta-free Himachal’ campaign has evolved into a mass movement, with properties worth Rs 50 crore seized from drug traffickers.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said the state government’s flagship campaign, ‘Chitta-free Himachal’, has evolved into a mass movement, with active public participation significantly strengthening efforts to curb drug abuse in the state.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the two-day Indora Festival at Indora in Kangra district, Sukhu said properties worth around Rs 50 crore, amassed through drug trafficking, have already been seized. He asserted that the government is determined to confiscate the remaining illicit assets of the drug mafia within the next six months.
Emphasising the importance of community involvement, the Chief Minister called upon citizens and gram panchayats to actively support the campaign to safeguard the younger generation from falling into drug addiction. He urged people to remain vigilant in their localities and share credible information with law-enforcement agencies through the emergency helpline 112. Informants, he assured, would be given complete confidentiality along with rewards ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the value of the information provided.
During his address, Sukhu also criticised the Union government’s decision to scrap the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with a new legislation. Describing MGNREGA as the world’s largest employment-generation programme, he said it had served as a lifeline for rural households, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. He reiterated that the Himachal Pradesh government would strongly oppose any move to dismantle the scheme, terming it an injustice to the poor and needy.
Lauding the Indora Festival, which was organised on the theme of ‘Chitta-free Himachal’, the Chief Minister announced that it would soon be accorded district-level status. Highlighting development initiatives, he said Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for naturally grown crops such as wheat, maize, turmeric and barley, in addition to milk. Strengthening the rural economy, he added, remains a key priority, with the government aiming to ensure a minimum monthly family income of Rs 20,000 for farmers.
Sukhu further said the state has made significant strides in the health sector, with an allocation of Rs 3,000 crore to strengthen healthcare infrastructure. Before the public meeting, he interacted with inmates of the Angel Orphanage Home in the Jawali Assembly constituency.
The programme concluded with cultural performances by Punjabi singer Lakhwinder Badali, the HP Police Band and local artists, in the presence of ministers, legislators and other dignitaries.
