Chandigarh, 12 January 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to allocate ₹600 crore in financial assistance for intensifying efforts against drug trafficking, including establishing special courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
During a regional conference on “Drug Trafficking and National Security,” held via video conference, Mann called for a decade-long, one-time grant to set up 79 special NDPS courts and hire public prosecutors and support staff.
He noted the alarming backlog of 35,000 NDPS cases pending in Punjab’s sessions courts as of January 1, adding, “At the current rate, it takes seven years to conclude a trial. Without intervention, this could extend to 11 years as the number of pending cases grows to 55,000 in the next five years.”
Mann requested increased funding from the National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse, as outlined in Chapter 7-A of the NDPS Act, to support multiple initiatives, including operational improvements for the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), advanced surveillance along the 552-km border with Pakistan, de-addiction centers, and prison systems equipped to counter drug activities.
He mentioned Punjab’s unique vulnerabilities, with a porous border comprising 43 km of unfenced terrain and 35 km of riverine stretches prone to infiltration.
The Chief Minister detailed other significant demands, such as systems for monitoring six India-Pakistan border districts, 5G signal jammers in prisons, AI-powered surveillance systems, and anti-drug awareness campaigns. He also emphasized Punjab’s earlier request for ₹2,829 crore under the 16th Finance Commission for infrastructure upgrades and enhanced enforcement capabilities.
“In the late seventies and eighties, Punjab fought insurgency. Today, we face a proxy war fueled by drugs from across the border,” Mann said.
He also noted the state’s achievements over the past 2.5 years, citing 31,500 NDPS cases, the arrest of 43,000 accused, and seizures of 3,000 kg of heroin, 2,600 kg of opium, and pharmaceutical drugs valued at ₹4.3 crore.
Mann appealed for immediate central assistance to strengthen the state’s fight against drug trafficking, reiterating the urgency for well-funded law enforcement and judicial measures.
