Jammu, Jan 02: The Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to establish special courts for expeditious trials in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The matter came up during a meeting of the Narco Coordination Center (NCORD) during which Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo reviewed steps being taken to combat the drug menace.
“The administration should set the ball rolling for the establishment of NDPS courts for speedy trial of accused under this Act,” Dulloo said.
The decision came in the wake of a notable increase in detentions and NDPS cases.
Police data reveals a 31 per cent surge in persons detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), reaching a total of 250 individuals this year compared to 191 in the previous year. Similarly, NDPS Act cases rose from 1,659 in 2022 to 2,400 cases this year.
The chief secretary stressed the importance of strong action against the drug menace, calling for optimal resource utilisation to gather information and apprehend major suppliers.
During the meeting on Monday, he inquired about detention and conviction rates from the previous year, urging officials to ensure higher conviction rates.
Charge sheets were filed in 1,710 NDPS Act cases, resulting in 127 convictions last year.
Authorities had confiscated 297 kg heroin, 330 kg charas, 63 kg brown sugar, 6,557 kg poppy straw, 118 kg ganja, and 118 kg opium. Additionally, Rs 10.90 crore in illicit funds were seized.
The chief secretary advocated putting in place extra deterrent measures and the use of modern Artificial Intelligence tools to analyse CCTV footage from all drug stores, aiming to identify potential operators.
He directed Deputy Commissioners to report on the status of properties sealed under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The Health Department received directives to engage top psychiatrists to study deaddiction centre models and formulate robust protocols following national standards.
Furthermore, he called upon the Information, School Education, and Social Welfare departments to raise awareness among the public and ensure community participation in the fight against the narcotic trade.
The administration aims to tackle this issue comprehensively, combining legal actions, law enforcement, and community engagement, he stressed.
