Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government’s flagship campaign ‘Chitta-free Himachal’ had transformed into a people’s movement, with widespread public participation strengthening the fight against drug abuse in the state.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the two-day Indora Festival at Indora in Kangra district, the Chief Minister said properties worth around Rs 50 crore, amassed through drug trafficking, had already been seized. He asserted that the government was committed to confiscating the remaining illicit assets of the drug mafia within the next six months.
Calling upon citizens and gram panchayats to actively support the campaign, Sukhu said community participation was vital to protect the younger generation from falling prey to drugs. He urged people to remain vigilant in their areas and share credible information with law-enforcement agencies through the emergency helpline 112. Informants, he assured, would be provided complete confidentiality along with rewards ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the input.
In his address, the Chief Minister 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 acted as a lifeline for rural households, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sukhu reiterated that the Himachal Pradesh government would firmly oppose any move to dismantle the scheme, calling it an injustice to the poor and needy.
Lauding the Indora Festival, organised on the theme ‘Chitta-free Himachal’, the Chief Minister announced that it would soon be accorded district-level status.
Highlighting development initiatives, he said Himachal Pradesh had 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, remained a key priority, with a target of ensuring a minimum monthly family income of Rs 20,000 for farmers.
Sukhu also said the state had made significant progress in the health sector, with Rs 3,000 crore allocated 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.