The North News
Dharamshala, December 3
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that 60 government employees, including 15 police personnel, were found involved in chitta trafficking as the state intensifies its campaign against drug abuse. Speaking at the sixth State-level meeting of the Narcotics Coordination Centre (NCORD) in Dharamshala yesterday, Sukhu said the government was committed to eliminating chitta and other narcotics from the state. He directed officials to step up coordination and tighten enforcement across all districts.
Representatives from central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Postal Department and the Railway Protection Force, attended the review. The Chief Minister said that the special teams from CID and the state police had been deployed in 234 panchayats identified as highly vulnerable to drug trafficking. He instructed deputy commissioners to form anti-drug committees in these areas and ensure NCORD meetings were held regularly.
Sukhu asked district administrations to identify properties acquired through drug money and submit reports by 10 December. Such properties would be demolished, he said, adding that five employees involved in trafficking had already been dismissed and legal action against the remaining officials was under way.
He said the government would soon organise anti-chitta walkathons and expand counselling, rehabilitation and treatment facilities. Drug testing has been made compulsory for government recruitment, while anti-drug clubs and peer education programmes are being strengthened in schools and colleges.The Chief Minister announced a new “Chitta Information Reward Scheme”, offering informants between Rs 10,000 and Rs 10 lakh for credible information. Tips could be shared via the 112 emergency number or through local police stations, with rewards to be delivered within 30 days.
Sukhu said 5,642 NDPS cases had been registered over the past three years — an increase of 28% — with more than 8,200 arrests and the seizure of over 36 kg of chitta. Forty-six repeat offenders have been detained under the PIT-NDPS Act, and assets worth Rs 48 crore have been confiscated. Himachal Pradesh is the first state to classify panchayats into red, yellow and green categories based on drug vulnerability, identifying 12,000 individuals under the model, which he said was gaining national recognition.
The government cited recent operations, including statewide naka checks, raids at 121 locations and inspections around educational institutions, which led to new NDPS cases, seizures and hundreds of challans.
The meeting was attended by senior state officials, including Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, top police officers and district heads who joined virtually.
