The Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA), headed by Dr. Anshu Kataria, will welcome Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on his Anti-Drug Padyatra at Abohar on Thursday. 

PUCA Coordinator (Abohar), Abhishek, told the media at Hotel Sethi Regency this afternoon that the closing ceremony of the Padyatra will be organised at DAV College campus. A langar will also be organised for the participants. 

Ankit Jain from Jain College of Pharmacy, Manpreet Makkar from Sri Guru Ram Das College and Sahil Mittal from Meera College of Nursing said that PUCA member institutions are fully committed to taking concrete steps to make their campuses drug-free. Sanjeev Middha was also present. 

Punjab continues to face a serious challenge of drug abuse. According to NCRB reports, Punjab recorded 144 drug overdose deaths in 2022, the highest in the country, and 89 overdose deaths in 2023. Official data submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court further revealed that 266 people lost their lives due to drug overdose between April 2020 and March 2023. Thousands of cases are registered annually under the NDPS Act, reflecting the magnitude of the problem. These alarming figures underline the urgent need for awareness, rehabilitation, strict enforcement, and collective societal action to achieve a drug-free Punjab. 

On the occasion the team of Aryans Group of Colleges including Dr Garima Thakur Deputy Director, Manpreet Mann, Dean Scholarship, Er. Shahid lone, Danish, Mohsin, Simran, Shahnawaz, Akshita etc were present