Punjab Seeks ₹600 Crore Aid to Fight Drug Menace. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a ₹600-crore financial package to strengthen the war against drug trafficking and set up special courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Mann made the plea during a regional conference on “Drug Trafficking and National Security” held via video conferencing.
The CM outlined a comprehensive plan requiring financial assistance spread over a decade to set up 79 NDPS special courts, appoint 79 public prosecutors, and recruit supporting staff to address the backlog of drug-related cases. As of January 1, 2023, around 35,000 NDPS cases were pending in Punjab’s session courts, and trials took on average seven years. Without intervention, the pendency could rise to 55,000 cases within five years, which would increase the disposal time to 11 years. Mann also approached the National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse to strengthen the process through the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). This includes live monitoring systems for six districts along the Pakistan border, technical surveillance equipment, jamming 5G signals in prisons, AI-based surveillance, and de-addiction centers. The other demands were a special prison for drug traffickers and funds for anti-drug awareness campaigns.
The CM highlighted the vulnerability of the state due to its 552-km porous border with Pakistan, which includes a 43-km fencing gap and a 35-km riverine stretch, that allows cross-border drug trafficking. Mann said that Punjab has been fighting a “proxy war” with Pakistan since it suffered from insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s.
Highlighting the efforts of the state, Mann said in the last 2.5 years, NDPS cases numbered around 31,500. This resulted in the arrest of 43,000 people and the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin, 2,600 kg of opium, and pharmaceutical drugs worth ₹4.3 crore.
Mann also sought ₹2,829 crore through the 16th Finance Commission to upgrade infrastructure and logistics for the ANTF and prisons, underlining the need for immediate approval to bolster law enforcement in Punjab.
