Jalandhar, July 5
The Punjab Government’s drive to make Punjab a drug-free state may fall short due to it being run on a self-sustaining mode.

Although the state government has announced major reforms like the opening up of 22 rehabilitation centres in various districts for drug addicts that will be made operational within three months, the Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, has hinted towards making the project run on a self-sustaining mode, the cost of which will be borne largely by drug addict patients in the form of meal and medical investigation charges.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at a drug de-addiction centre at ESI Hospital in Jalandhar on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

The Chief Minister is on a two-day tour to some of the major de-addiction centres in the state.

“I feel that it is important to charge some user fee from these patients so that they should have a serious approach towards their treatment. We have exempted user charges to the patients coming from the below poverty line (BPL) families, but even they have to pay for the meal and various medical investigations,” said the Chief Minister while talking to media at the de-addiction centre at the ESI hospital in Jalandhar. However, when asked on the government’s contribution in the mega de-addiction drive, he hinted towards some concession in the medical investigations fee at various government hospitals in near future.

Meanwhile, a family said to make Punjab a drug-free state, it was important for the government to charge minimum charges from patients. “What is the fun of exempting user charges to the patients which is merely Rs 350? The government should exempt or offer some concession in the medical examination and meal charges that would come around to around Rs 4,000 a week in the rehabilitation centres to be soon opened in the state,” said Karanjeet kaur (name changed), mother of a drug addict patient from Jalandhar. She also said that due to such high charges, many were not able to participate in this ongoing drive.

The government recently announced the opening of 22 rehabilitation centre in various districts, the affairs of whose will be looked after by a committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner of the respective district. Badal also gave a nod to the recruitment of para-medical staff, including male nurses/pharmacists and ward attendants, besides social workers and security personnel to be drawn from Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO). Sources said with the rehabilitation centre project expected to run on a self-sustaining mode, it may dig a big hole in the torn empty pockets of the drug addict patients and their families.