The Union government has classified six districts in Punjab as “ultrasensitive” zones in its nationwide crackdown on narcotics as part of its newly unveiled campaign for a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ (drug-free India).
Across the country, the Centre has mapped 73 districts as “ultrasensitive” and 274 as “sensitive”, said Narcotics Crime Bureau (NCB) zonal director Amanjit Singh and Union ministry of home affairs spokesperson Rak Kumar while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
Five of the red-flagged districts, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka, are along the International Border with Pakistan, while the industrial hub of Ludhiana has been marked as an ultrasensitive hotspot in the state’s hinterland.
The Centre’s revelation comes just two days ahead of launch of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)anti-drug yatras that will kick off from Pathankot on September 18. The BJP has made drug trade its main plank for the upcoming state assembly elections due early next year. BJP national president Nitin Nabin is slated to flag off the march, while Amit Shah is scheduled to address its culmination in Jalandhar on September 30.
The move has triggered a sharp political backlash from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which dismissed the yatras as an “electoral gimmick.” The state government countered that coordinated vigilance by local agencies has already caused a substantial drop in cross-border heroin inflows.
{{/usCountry}}The move has triggered a sharp political backlash from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which dismissed the yatras as an “electoral gimmick.” The state government countered that coordinated vigilance by local agencies has already caused a substantial drop in cross-border heroin inflows.
{{/usCountry}}Named as ‘Vartalap’, the press conference is a part of series of such interactions being organised by Press Information Bureau with the focus on an effective strategy to create awareness about Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign. Similar press conferences are being held in Srinagar on Wednesday and in Shimla a day after, said officials.
“Special de-addiction strategies have been formed by the Centre to eradicate drugs from the districts found as ultra-sensitives,” said the NCB zonal director, citing details in the vision document for Drug-Free India by 2029, unveiled by Shah in Goa few days back.
‘Anti-drone tech at all borders by next year’
On a question about drugs coming from across the border, the NCB official said anti-drone technology will be installed all along the International Border to check the supply of drugs via drones.
Around 100 fugitives involved in narco-terrorism has been identified by the Centre and the process was on to bring them back, the officials said. The MHA spokesperson said the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the fight against drugs a national security priority. Destruction of clandestine drug labs, bringing back drug-offenders and fugitives, system integration and achieving measurable national outcomes have been given special focus in the vision document. Sharing details, the MHA spokesperson said the roadmap was prepared following consultations with more than 35 ministries, departments and agencies.
He said the roadmap is based on four pillars – intelligence and operation-based enforcement, precursor and synthetic drugs control, demand and harm reduction, and capacity building and coordination. The operational mantra for these four pillars is detect, disrupt and destroy. Detect: Identify the source, route, peddler, technology, payment channels, and kingpins. Disrupt: Target transit, logistics, precursor supply, darknet networks, hawala, and narco-financing. Destroy: Eliminate drug laboratories, illicit cultivation, cartel assets, leadership, and the entire distribution network.
“The Union government has decided to give 100% grants for the anti-narcotics task force working in the states under the new arrangement,” said the NCB director.