Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday attacked Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal for his allegations that the Congress government has failed to contain drug menace in the state.
Winding up the discussion on the Governor's address in the state assembly here, Singh said it does not behove a former chief minister to "spread such falsehoods".
Badal had recently alleged that the Punjab chief minister had failed to end the drug menace after swearing on the 'Gutka Sahib' (holy Sikh book).
"I had said I will break the backbone of drugs. That man (Badal) has been a five-time CM and he said I am lying," Singh said.
Before the 2017 assembly polls in Punjab, Singh had taken a pledge of wiping out the drug menace within four weeks after assuming power at a rally in Bathinda.
The chief minister said his government's "comprehensive campaign" against drugs had broken the backbone of the drug mafia in the state.
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The state government had adopted a comprehensive EDP Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention - strategy to meet the requirements of its promise to the people of Punjab, he said.
Singh said 34,373 case under the the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act have been registered during the last three years. A total of 42,571 persons were arrested and 974.15 kg of heroin seized by the Punjab Police, he added.
A total of 193 Out-patient Opioid Addiction Treatment (OOATs) clinics have been established and are providing free regular treatment to drug addicts, and at present 3.70 lakh persons are undergoing treatment for drug addiction in the state, Singh said.