Psychotropic substances of Rs 23.36 cr seized in Punjab
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Jan, 2022 01:19 PM
Chandigarh, Jan 13 (IANS) After the Model Code of Conduct came into force in the state for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, enforcement teams have seized valuables worth Rs 23.8 crore in violation of code, besides confiscating unaccounted cash till January 12, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab S. Karuna Raju said on Thursday.
He said the surveillance teams have seized 797,66.512 litres of liquor valued at Rs 24 lakh. Similarly, the enforcement wings have recovered psychotropic substances amounting to Rs 23.36 crore, besides confiscating unaccounted cash of Rs 4 lakh, he added.
The Chief Electoral Officer revealed that as many as 1,028 highly sensitive areas have been identified.
Besides, 1,131 such persons have been identified, who can create disturbance, he said, adding that out of these persons action had already been initiated against 362 while the remaining would also be brought to book.
He said in security point of view preventive measures had been taken against 31 persons. He informed there were 998 non-bailable warrant cases under process in the state, of which, action had already been initiated against 873 persons under non-bailable warrants after the enforcement of Model Code of Conduct.
Teams have also removed as many as 49,852 defacements of public properties, while 16,900 on private properties.
As per the directions of the election commission, Raju said till date 12,684 out of 297,140 licensed weapons had been deposited in the state, whereas 17 weapons without licenses were seized in the state.
He also informed that 84 per cent of staff to be deployed in election duties have got their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while, 49 per cent staff is fully vaccinated.
After literally turning a deaf ear to the farmers’ issues for over a year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 19, 2021, in a dramatic move, announced the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws, which were at the heart of the farmers’ protests across the country.
Earlier, Dhesi sent a letter, signed by over 100 British MPs and Lords, to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the ongoing farmers' protests, asking him to raise this matter with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when they next liaise.
The Chief Minister told the media here that for more than a year since the Central government had brought three agriculture laws for the benefit of farmers, especially small and marginal ones, unfortunately, some farmer unions had been protesting on the Delhi borders.
While the Centre's announcement to repeal three farm laws is seen as a political decision with eye on forthcoming assembly polls in five states, the BJP claims that it has nothing to do with elections as the party has won many states after laws were passed by the Parliament.
On January 12 this year, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three farm laws after scores of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh pitched their tents on various Delhi borders in protest against the three laws.
A nine-member committee of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the consortium of protesting farmers' bodies, will be meeting on Saturday, and it is likely to put forth four main demands. The meeting will also decide whether the SKM will go ahead with the originally announced 'March Towards Delhi' programme on November 26.
