At Balurghat, CM Suvendu Adhikari declares war on drugs
Times of India | 3 September 2026
Balurghat: Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign for a drug-free India “extremely relevant and timely”, CM Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said Bengal will send a message to the country on the state govt’s crackdown, especially against cross-border drug trafficking. The CM was speaking at a programme in Balurghat.
The CM and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar got onto a road roller as the machine destroyed thousands of bottles of cough syrup trafficked illegally. “BSF and police have coordinated drives along South Dinajpur border areas. We have destroyed 2 lakh bottles of Phensedyl on Wednesday seized by the district police. It is a message to the nation,” Adhikari said. The CM said the destruction was part of efforts to keep the country’s youth away from drug addiction.
“The PM has pledged to make India addiction-free, and the drive today is to make it even more widespread. We have continued our drives against substance abuse and have seized contraband in huge quantities,” said Adhikari.
The CM added: “We have seized a large quantity of narcotics since our govt came to office. Over the past four months, these drugs have been seized in joint operations. We destroyed them symbolically today. We will make Bengal drug-free.”
Saying that coordination between border forces and cops had improved, Adhikari said, “Earlier, there was no coordination between BSF and the police in South Dinajpur. BSF was treated like an enemy.”
Anyone involved in drug trafficking will face prolonged incarceration, the CM said.
The India-Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur has long been a corridor for drug trafficking. Cough syrups are in huge demand in Bangladesh, and last month, three persons were nabbed, and more than Rs 2 crore was recovered from them.
‘Balurghat to have flights soon’
CM Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said Balurghat will soon have air connectivity. “We have joined the UDAN scheme, and Balurghat airport comes under it,” the CM said. A medical college will also be set up at Balurghat, with construction work expected to start by Dec, he said.