Punjab's drug problem not as big as it is made out to be: CM Bhagwant Mann

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said the state's drug problem was not as severe as it was being portrayed and defended spending on roads and schools using taxpayers' money.New Delhi,Oct 8, 2026 14:42 ISTPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the drug problem in the state was not as severe as it was being portrayed.Speaking at Panchayat Aaj Tak, Mann said, “As much as it is being publicised, there is not that much drug abuse in Punjab.”Mann also defended the government’s spending on public infrastructure, saying that people should not object when their tax money is returned to them in the form of development works.“In today’s era of inflation, if the government, in some form or another, gives their tax money back to them in the form of roads and schools, then what objection should there be?” Mann said. On allegations that the Punjab government is being run from Delhi, Mann questioned why the Opposition targets him with criticism if the government is controlled from the national capital.“If the government is run from Delhi, then why do they abuse me? They (the Opposition) know that the government is run from Punjab itself, and the Punjab government has worked in a transparent manner,” Mann said. - Ends