Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s two-day visit across six districts of Punjab, bordering the International Border to ascertain the security situation has yet again ignited the concerns surrounding rampant illegal mining and drugs menace, giving fresh political ammunition to the Opposition parties that have been accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of failure to perform on various fronts.
In a bid to take stock of the security situation amid persistent concerns over drugs, money, weapons and explosives being pushed from across the Indo-Pak border from Pakistan into Indian territory over drones and by other means Mr. Purohit visited Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka districts on September 12 and 13.
Mr. Purohit during his visit met the officers from the Central and State government agencies accompanied by the village heads [sarpanches] and other prominent people of the district. Asserting that illegal sand mining was a threat to national security, Mr. Purohit exhorted that a case of treason should be registered against those found involved in illegal sand mining in the border areas as it endangers national security. He also pointed out that there were reports of the existence of a police-criminal nexus in a few border areas, which needs to be destroyed.
