New Delhi, July 4: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday asserted that the state government would wipe out the menace of drug abuse.

The chief minister wrote to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, recommending the death penalty for first-time drug offenders. "Have today written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh ji conveying my Government's recommendation for approving death penalty to drug-related-offenders on first conviction only. We are firm in our resolve to wipe out the menace of drug abuse from Punjab," Singh wrote on Twitter.

Yesterday, the Punjab Chief Minister had shared a video message on Twitter wherein he had warned the drug smugglers to give up or get ready to face stringent actions, even death penalty.

On July 2, Singh had recommended to the Centre to formulate a law that awards death penalty to those convicted for drug peddling and smuggling, amid the growing drug menace in Punjab.

Meanwhile, he had also said that they have set up a committee to look into the matter. "In last few days, there has been a spurt in deaths due to drugs. We've made a committee which is going to meet every day. On Mondays, I'm going to meet the committee to see what action has been taken during the week. What is happening here is unacceptable," the chief minister had said.

Singh had earlier also acknowledged that drug menace is a major social problem of Punjab and that his party is going to take stringent actions in the regard.