India
Amarinder sought ideas from the tech giants in curtailing the drug menace in Punjab. The Congress government invited severe criticism from the Opposition after it failed to fulfil its promise made during the 2017 Assembly election of eradicating drugs from the state
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sought help from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai for curtailing the drug menace in the state.
In his letter written to Zuckerberg, Amarinder stated that the youth in the state remained gripped under a severe drug crisis. “We have taken several steps to combat this menace and are following a policy of zero tolerance. Over the next few days, we will be announcing newer measures to tackle this challenge,” he wrote.
The chief minister also stressed in his letter that technology now forms a large part of the youths’ lives and they are deeply influenced by what they see, hear and consume. “At the same time, internet is ripe with a lot of content about finding newer ways of addiction to substances and enables addicts to find a ready and steady supply of material” the letter to Facebook stated.
Amarinder sought ideas from the tech giants in curtailing the drug menace in Punjab. The Congress government invited severe criticism from the Opposition after it failed to fulfil its promise made during the 2017 Assembly election of eradicating drugs from the state.
“Technology forms the backbone of information and education today, Punjab’s youth have easy access to platforms such as yours (Google), and I am seeking your assistance in helping us develop ways in which we can make Punjab drug-free,” Amarinder wrote.
There have been at least 23 deaths due to drugs in Punjab in June alone. Drug menace was among the main reasons for Shiromani Akali Dal’s defeat in Assembly polls last year.
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