Haryana has decided to set up its own narcotics control bureau (NCB) to check the trafficking and abuse of illegal substances.
Home minister Anil Vij said he would hold a meeting with director general of police (DGP) Manoj Yadav regarding the structure of the bureau in a day or two.
The data of the past two years — 2018 and 2019 — shows that there has been an increase in drug seizures (worth crores of rupees) and the number of arrests (over 2,000 each year) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Vij said the spread of drug trafficking and abuse was worrying, hence the decision has been made to set up state’s own NCB, though a special task force (STF) was already in place for the purpose.
Also read: Separate narcotics bureau in the State
Decision
“As the STF has several special tasks to handle, the proposed NCB, which would be headed by a top officer with expertise in contraband, will specifically be dedicated to check the drug trafficking and abuse,” he added.
The home minister, however, added that he had also written to the additional chief secretary, social welfare, for setting up at least one well-equipped drug de-addiction centre in all districts of the state.
WORRYING TREND
Significantly enough, the voices of political representatives across the parties are getting louder with every passing day when it comes to assessing the gravity of the situation.
Also read: ‘Operation Prahar’ in Haryana
