CHANDIGARH, July 14 — As part of intensified efforts to curb the illegal drug trade, the Punjab and Haryana governments have launched coordinated crackdowns on medical stores suspected of selling banned or prescription-only drugs without proper documentation.
In Punjab, joint teams comprising police, drug inspectors, and health department officials carried out surprise inspections at multiple pharmacies across cities. Stock registers and sales records were scrutinized, triggering panic and confusion at several locations.
“The government will not tolerate any complicity in the drug trade,” an official said, confirming that licenses of violators will be cancelled and legal proceedings initiated. Authorities reiterated that medical stores must sell prescription drugs only on a registered doctor’s recommendation.
“These raids are part of our broader anti-drug campaign, and such enforcement drives will continue,” said a senior police officer involved in the operations. The campaign aligns with the Punjab government’s zero-tolerance policy toward drug abuse and trafficking.
A similar drive is underway in Haryana, where on the instructions of Health Minister Kumari Arti Singh Rao, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began inspecting pharmacies for unauthorized sales of Schedule H and X drugs—medications that require strict regulation due to their high abuse potential.
Shops found violating norms are being sealed, and licenses are being cancelled, officials confirmed. “We are committed to stopping the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs,” said a senior FDA officer in Haryana.
Both states have warned medical store owners against bypassing prescription norms and pledged to hold accountable those who fuel addiction through illegal sales.
