As Crime, Overdose, Suicide Numbers Rise, Panjab Underutilizes Central Funds

On 6 Dec, Panjab CM Mann asked administrative secretaries to explain how the state had managed to utilize only $360M from $1,319M worth of central grants for different departments in the ongoing fiscal year. This is another administrative lapse when the CM uses every opportunity to blame the Center for discriminating against the state (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 12, Story 5). Meanwhile, according to data by the Union Minister of Rural Development in the Parliament, in the last two years, Panjab has witnessed a 385% surge in identification and cancellation of fake job cards under MGNREGS. The state contributes to over 71% of such identified fraudulent cards in north India. The 2022 NCRB annual report says Ludhiana is the most unsafe for minors in Panjab, reporting a total of 275 cases of crimes against minors. Of the total 2,494 cases  registered in Panjab in 2022, 11% were reported from Ludhiana alone. Additionally, in 2022, Panjab had the highest number of drug overdose deaths, with the death toll being 144. At 12,442 cases, the state had the third highest number of overdose cases of all states registered under the NDPS Act. In addition, Panjab saw 204 suicides in the farming sector, including 136 farmers who cultivated their own land. In 2022, a total 2,441 suicides were recorded in Panjab. Note that due to stigma, all figures for violence against minors, drug overdose deaths, and suicides are often underreported. The latest statistics clearly show poor policing in the state.