The village residents alleged that ‘it is easier to buy heroin in the village than sugar. Customers from as far as Chandigarh make a beeline in their village to buy chitta but nothing is done’. Retired Major Harbans Singh, who is the ‘guardian’ for Sahnewal area, said, “Yes, village residents raised drug issue and we have assured it will be solved soon. In the written plea submitted on Wednesday, village residents said that youths in their village were getting addicted to heroin because they were getting it easily. Girls and boys from high-end colleges come here to buy heroin.
The residents of village Chaunta in district Ludhiana on Wednesday submitted a written complaint to CM’s senior adviser claiming that despite Congress government coming in power, chitta (heroin) is easily available in their village and youths are dying after consuming the drug.
Lt Gen Tajinder Singh Shergill (retired), senior adviser to CM Captain Amarinder Singh visited the village Chaunta in sub-division Sahnewal of Ludhiana when the residents led by their sarpanch, Rajesh Kumar, who is also from Congress, narrated the drug problem in their village and also submitted a written complaint. The village residents alleged that ‘it is easier to buy heroin in the village than sugar. Customers from as far as Chandigarh make a beeline in their village to buy chitta but nothing is done’.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Gurjeet Singh, a village resident and a Congress worker said, “Ours is a small village with population of around 2,000 people only. However, things did not change even after SAD-BJP is gone and Congress is in. We were expecting that drug supply chain will be completely cut but even now it may take two minutes to buy sugar, but it takes less time to buy heroin. Initially, when Congress government took over, there was some relief for a month but again drug trade started like it was during SAD-BJP regime. Village residents submitted a written complaint to CM’s senior adviser today.”
Another resident added that recently two persons died in the village allegedly due to heroin overdose, but police did not take any action. “Youths are getting addicted. When one family starts selling it, youths in that family also start consuming it. Recently, there have been two deaths due to heroin overdose but there is no action. Police is doing nothing. We demanded today that a police checkpost be setup in our village. Drug trade is going on unabated.”
Rajesh Kumar, sarpanch of the village from Congress, said that he has no hesitation in admitting that despite Congress in power now, the addicts in village are easily getting heroin and sellers too are easily supplying it. “Today, on behalf of entire village and panchayat members, we raised this issue with CM’s senior adviser because things have not changed as we expected they would. Drug sellers in our village are selling it openly and customers can be seen lining up here from far away places. Girls and boys from high-end colleges come here to buy heroin. We want an end to this,” he said.
In the written plea submitted on Wednesday, village residents said that youths in their village were getting addicted to heroin because they were getting it easily. Chitta (heroin) is being sold in every street and corner of the village and there is no check. They requested that CM should interfere in the matter and get drug supply cut. Shergill visited the village to popularise ‘Guardians of Governance’ scheme of the government under which ex-servicemen have been allotted areas to oversee implementation of government schemes.
Retired Major Harbans Singh, who is the ‘guardian’ for Sahnewal area, said, “Yes, village residents raised drug issue and we have assured it will be solved soon. We also spoke to area’s DSP who said that drug problem has been reduced to a great extent. Some youngsters who are still getting addicted to drugs are being counselled.”
