Amarinder launches anti-drugs drive on Bhagat Singh's martyrdom day
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their martyrdom day with a vow to empower the youth and launched the Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPO) programme to wipe out the menace of drugs from the state.
He said that the DAPO programme, marking the Youth Empowerment Day, will involve dedicated volunteers to work in their localities in coordination with the local administration, police and STF in the anti-drug drive.
On the occasion during a state level function at Khatkarkalan, as part of a state-wide oath-taking ceremony, Amarinder took the DAPO oath, and also administered it to other volunteers, thanking them for joining his government's efforts to rid the state of the problem of drugs.
The state cabinet ministers simultaneously administered the DAPO oath to volunteers in various district headquarters.
The chief minister also recalled his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands post Tsunmai, where thousands of Punjabi freedom fighters had jailed for raising the banner of revolt against the British tyranny, and exhorted the people to take inspiration from their sacrifices.
Referring to a demand for naming the Mohali International Airport after legendary martyr Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, Amarinder said the Punjab government had already taken up this issue with the central government, and he would personally pursue the same.
On the occasion, the chief minister laid a wreath at the statue of Bhagat Singh and also paid floral tributes at the memorial of the martyr's father, Sardar Kishan Singh.
He also dedicated to the nation the Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Memorial and Museum to commemorate the sacrifices of the great martyrs.
