Punjab to hold first-ever census on drug addiction

CHANDIGARH: The AAP government in Punjab will soon conduct the first-ever census to collect data on drug addiction, de-addiction centres and the socio-economic status of the affected population as part of its fight against the drug menace.
Presenting the government’s fourth budget on Wednesday, with an outlay of almost Rs 2.4 lakh crore and no new taxes, state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said: “It is the primary responsibility of the Centre to halt cross-border smuggling of drugs and arms… We have now decided to complement the efforts of BSF by undertaking two initiatives to completely block cross-border smuggling of drugs.”

In the ‘Badalda Punjab Budget’, the government will extend the health insurance scheme with an annual cap of Rs 10 lakh to all households (about 65 lakh families across the state). However, the budget is silent on the monthly dole of Rs 1,100 which it had promised to women during the last assembly elections. Cheema said it was the only pre-poll guarantee that remained unfulfilled, but it will be announced in the near future.
The projected debt in the budget is almost Rs 4.2 lakh crore while the revenue deficit is Rs 23,957 crore. To fund its scheme for 300 units of free domestic power, Punjab will have to shell out Rs 7,614 crore during the coming fiscal and Rs 9,992 crore for power subsidy to the agriculture sector. The effective revenue deficit and fiscal deficit are expected to be 2.5% and 3.8%, respectively.