Today the Punjab Budget 2026-27 was presented with a total budget of Rs. 2.60 lakh crore, with considerable budgetary allocations to strengthen the state’s flagship anti-drug drive ‘Yudh Nashian De Virudh’, which clearly indicates the government’s commitment to public welfare.
As per the budget document, the ‘Yudh Nashian De Virudh’ campaign has registered 36,686 cases under the NDPS Act against 52,331 drug peddlers, with over 33,000 kg of narcotics seized during the past year. The government has also tightened financial trails to track assets of illicit drug trade, striking at the economic core of the drug trade.
In addition to that, the budget has allocated considerable resources to strengthen the state’s flagship anti-drug drive ‘Yudh Nashian De Virudh’. This clearly shows that the government is committed
To boost grassroots vigilance, the budget allocates funds to support 12,000 Village Defense Committees with over 1.25 lakh members, alongside thousands of volunteers called ‘Pinda De Pehredar’. Officials noted that 350+ FIRs and 510 arrests in just the last two months were based on community feedback, underlining the critical role of citizen participation in combating drugs.
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) continues to target organized crime linked to narcotics. Since its inception, the AGTF has:
Arrested 2,762 gangsters and criminals
Neutralized 34 criminals
Busted 1,062 criminal modules
Recovered 2,203 weapons
The government has also launched Operation Prahar, a coordinated crackdown on gangster networks, financiers, and logistical chains supporting narcotics trafficking.
The 2026–27 budget sets aside resources to enhance cyber and forensic capabilities, strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, and introduce digital monitoring systems. Officials say the plan aims to institutionalize ‘Yudh Nashian De Virudh’ as a long-term framework to protect Punjab’s youth from drugs.
The budget also allocates ₹100 crore for a Drug and Socio-Economic Census, launching in April 2026. This initiative will provide evidence-based data to guide targeted welfare programs and robust anti-drug policies, reinforcing Punjab’s fiscal commitment to public safety and youth development.
