NEW DELHI — On Saturday, more than 30,000 kg of drugs seized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will be burned in four cities, with home minister Amit Shah watching the action via video-conferencing. With this, NCB will have fulfilled its pledge to dispose of 75,000 kg of drugs in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of independence.
While attending a ‘national conference on drug trafficking and national security’ in Chandigarh on Saturday, Shah will observe the burning of drugs in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Guwahati. The conference, will be attended by the chief ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab, as well as the administrator of Chandigarh, senior officials from the BSF, NIA, and NCB, anti-narcotics task forces (ANTF) chiefs from the respective states, and members of the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD), is the first of its kind to bring together chief ministers and anti-narcotics enforcement and investigations agencies.
As part of NCB’s drug disposal campaign, which began on June 1, 2022, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, its teams in 11 states have disposed of more than 51,217 kg of drugs as of July 29. As an additional 30,468 kg of drugs – 19,320 kg in Delhi, 1309 kg in Chennai, 3077 kg in Kolkata, and 6,761 kg in Guwahati – are set ablaze in front of the home minister on Friday, the total will reach 81,686 kg, exceeding the NCB’s target of 75,000 kg.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the home ministry stated that this would be a significant achievement and evidence of the Modi government’s determination to rid India of the drug menace. As per the home ministry’s reply to the Lok Sabha on December 21, 2021, the NCB seized 59,467 kg of drugs in 2021, 51,850 kg in 2020, and 40,242 kg in 2019. Also, in 2021, it will destroy 33,325 kg of drugs, 7,588 kg in 2020, and 32,990 kg in 2019.
Post Your Comments