Chandigarh, January 12, 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to provide ₹600 crore to step up efforts against drug trafficking.
Mann proposed using the funds to set up special courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and to recruit prosecutors and support staff.
Speaking at a regional conference on "Drug Trafficking and National Security" via video conference, Mann outlined the need for a one-time, decade-long grant to establish 79 special NDPS courts.
He flagged the backlog of 35,000 NDPS cases pending in the state’s sessions courts and warned that delays in trials, already averaging seven years, could stretch to 11 years if the backlog increases to 55,000 cases in the next five years.
Mann urged the government of India to release funds from the National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse, as mandated under the NDPS Act, to aid in several initiatives.
“These include strengthening the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), enhancing border surveillance along the 552-km stretch with Pakistan, creating de-addiction centers, and improving prison infrastructure to counter drug-related crimes,” he said.
The Chief Minister mentioned Punjab’s vulnerability due to its porous border, which includes 43 km of unfenced terrain and 35 km of riverine areas, making it susceptible to cross-border smuggling.
He also pressed for funding to deploy AI-based surveillance systems, install 5G signal jammers in prisons, and launch anti-drug awareness campaigns.
Mann further sought early approval of Punjab's ₹2,829-crore request under the 16th Finance Commission for infrastructure upgrades and better enforcement.
“In the seventies and eighties, Punjab dealt with insurgency. Today, we are fighting a proxy war driven by drugs smuggled from across the border,” Mann said.
He noted the state’s progress in its anti-drug campaign over the last 2.5 years, citing the registration of 31,500 NDPS cases, the arrest of 43,000 accused, and the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin, 2,600 kg of opium, and pharmaceutical drugs worth ₹4.3 crore.