Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government after figures submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court showed that nearly 45 per cent of inmates in the state’s jails are registered for opioid-assisted treatment.
Reacting to the figures, Badal described the situation as “SHOCKING!” and said: “Almost HALF, a staggering 45 per cent of inmates in Punjab’s jails are drug addicts!! Let that sink in…”
Badal highlighted that 15,678 prisoners were undergoing treatment through Out-Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics and that the majority of drug-dependent inmates were between 18 and 45 years old. He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to deliver
on its promise to eliminate Punjab’s drug problem.
“Remember, Guru Dokhi Bhagwant Mann and his ‘master’ Arvind Kejriwal claimed that they would eradicate Punjab’s drug menace within 3 months!” Badal said in his post on X.
“Four-and-a-half years later, their own government’s figures have completely EXPOSED the grim reality on ground,” he added.
Badal further alleged that a drug trade of such magnitude could not continue without the involvement of the establishment, saying the “drug trade of this magnitude cannot flourish without the establishment being hand-in-glove.”
SHOCKING! Almost HALF, a staggering 45% of inmates in Punjab’s jails are drug addicts!!
Let that sink in…
• 15,678 prisoners are undergoing opioid treatment
• Majority of drug-addict inmates are 18–45 years of ageRemember, Guru Dokhi @BhagwantMann and his ‘master’… pic.twitter.com/BbgvjfqesK
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) September 2, 2026
The remarks came after the Punjab government’s prisons department submitted an affidavit before the High Court. According to the report, 15,678 of the 35,449 inmates lodged across 25 district and central jails were registered with OOAT clinics as of August 21.
The affidavit, submitted by Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Rajesh Kumar, said the majority of inmates receiving treatment were in the 18-45 age bracket. Of those registered, 2,951 were aged 18-25, 5,656 were 26-35 and 4,544 were 36-45.
The issue came under the High Court’s scrutiny after a report from the administrative judge of Mansa highlighted the high prevalence of drug dependence among inmates. In one case, 530 of 767 prisoners in the jail were registered with its OOAT clinic, about 69 per cent of the inmate population.
The treatment programme uses a combination of Buprenorphine and Naloxone to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings and reduce the risk of opioid overdose. The government said the programme was introduced to tackle heroin use, which had been rampant in Punjab in 2017.
The affidavit also said de-addiction centres have been established in eight central jails under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, providing treatment, rehabilitation and de-addiction support to inmates.
