Jalandhar, May 19 -- Langroya village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, declared drug free by the state government recently, has seen efforts by the village panchayat, including retired officials, for almost half a decade to transform the communities that have been known for selling drugs, villagers have said.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, while launching the 'Nasha Mukti Yatra' on May 16, had declared this village 99% drug free.

Situated on the outskirts of the district headquarters, Langroya village remained infamous for smuggling and selling poppy husk, opium and heroin among other drugs for decades. Village sarpanch Gurdev Singh, a retired sub-divisional officer, said, ...