Drug peddler’s room turned into gym; police offer fitness option to village youth

Under the “Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, the Jalandhar Rural Police, along with civil administrative officials, today got vacated a room built on the panchayati land, and in use by a woman drug peddler at Ganna village in the Phillaur sub-division, Jalandhar. In addition, an encroachment on the area adjoining the room was removed. The police said the room would now be converted into a gym to facilitate the youth of the village. This is a rare instance in the anti-drug campaign in the state that a targeted establishment under use by a drug peddler is being repurposed for a constructive use. SSP Jalandhar (Rural) Harvinder Singh Virk said the action had been intiated against the female drug smuggler Desho, wife of Kuldeep Kumar, a resident of Ganna village. The peddler has three cases under the NDPS Act registered against her at the Phillaur police station and she had already been convicted. Speaking to The Tribune, SSP Virk said, “The woman had encroached upon 8 marlas of village land and made some additional construction there. An already existing panchayati land building (the room) was illegally occupied by her, she also illegally constructed an extension to that building on an adjoining land. The peddler’s illegal construction has been demolished, but we can’t demolish the government building. A gym will be established there to facilitate the village folk." The SSP added, “We are bound to demolish illegal private constructions by the drug peddlers. Encroachments on the existing government buildings, like in this case, can be repurposed in future as well." The SSP said the room had been handed over to the Panchayat Department and the encroachment beside the room was removed under the supervision of SP (Headquarters) Parminder Singh Heer and DSP Phillaur Swaran Singh Bal by the Jalandhar Rural Police and BDPO Phillaur. This action was taken on the complaint of the Panchayat Department. SP Heer said the room would now be converted into a gym for the youth of the village. He added that with the facility of the gym in the village, youth will stay away from drugs and be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The panchayat of Ganna village welcomed the action being taken by Punjab.  ‘Repurposed for constructive use’ “This is a rare instance in the anti-drug campaign in the state that a targeted establishment under use by a drug peddler is being repurposed for a constructive use.” – Harvinder S Virk, SSP Jalandhar (Rural)

Punjab