CM seeks intervention of Amit Shah for setting up special NDPS courts to check drug menace
North News
New Delhi, January 11
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday appealed to the central government for a one-time financial aid of Rs 600 crore, spread over 10 years, to establish Special NDPS courts and recruit public prosecutors along with necessary supporting staff. This would amount to Rs 60 crore per year, he added.
Speaking at the regional conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security,’ Punjab Chief Minister urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah for financial assistance to combat the escalating drug trafficking problem in the state. The Chief Minister highlighted the urgent need for 79 new Special NDPS courts and the recruitment of 79 public prosecutors along with support staff. The request, amounting to Rs 600 crore over 10 years, is crucial to clear a backlog of 35,000 pending NDPS cases, with the average trial duration expected to rise from seven to 11 years in the next five years.
Mann also appealed for funding from the National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse (Chapter 7-A of the NDPS Act) to strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, improve border surveillance systems, and enhance infrastructure in prisons. He further urged approval of Rs 2,829 crore from the 16th Finance Commission for effective law enforcement and de-addiction programs.
The Chief Minister raised concerns over the porous 552 km international border shared with Pakistan, a major route for cross-border drug trafficking. He emphasized that the state’s location along the Golden Crescent drug route made it a key transit point for narcotics. With increased border fencing, drug trafficking is now largely facilitated by drones, presenting challenges in enforcement.
Highlighting the efforts of Punjab Police, Mann mentioned the establishment of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, which includes 861 officers trained in drug trafficking issues. The state has also registered approximately 31,500 cases under the NDPS Act, arrested over 43,000 accused, and seized significant amounts of narcotics.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the state’s innovative use of technology, with the Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS 2.0) aiding in tracking and analyzing crimes related to drugs. Moreover, over 97,000 addicts have received treatment through 213 de-addiction and rehabilitation centers across the state.
Addressing the socio-economic impact of drug abuse, Mann stressed the need for a national response to the drug problem, calling for increased central funding for anti-drug initiatives, awareness campaigns, and law enforcement. He also called for an expansion of the Border Security Force’s capabilities to counter cross-border drug trafficking.
