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Punjab assembly session: House panel flags growing buprenorphine use, calls for de-addiction centres’ audit
The committee has recommended the constitution of a joint team of senior medical and administrative officers to investigate the functioning of government and private de-addiction centres in Punjab
Expressing serious concern over the functioning of de-addiction centres across the state, a Punjab assembly House committee questioned the increasing and prolonged use of buprenorphine as part of opioid addiction treatment and recommended a comprehensive probe into the state’s de-addiction system.
The committee, headed by AAP MLA from Bathinda Urban Jagroop Singh Gill and constituted to review the functioning of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), has recommended the constitution of a joint team of senior medical and administrative officers to investigate the functioning of government and private de-addiction centres. It has also sought an action taken report (ATR) from the health department on its recommendations.
Presenting the committee’s report in the assembly on Thursday, Gill said the panel was concerned that while buprenorphine is intended as a medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence, many patients continue taking the drug for prolonged periods without a clear strategy for complete rehabilitation.
“If any youth is trying to leave drugs but we are putting him on lifelong intake of buprenorphine, it is not a good thing. The committee must examine the matter and make efforts so that the youth can leave drugs permanently without depending on any tablet,” the report stated.
According to official figures cited in the report, the Punjab government purchased nearly 7 crore buprenorphine tablets in 2022, 9.44 crore in 2023, 10 crore in 2024, 11 crore in 2025, while 6 crore tablets had already been procured by June 2026.
The panel also noted that 65% of registered drug addicts in Punjab belong to the 19-35 years age group, underlining the growing impact of substance abuse among the state’s youth.
The report highlighted concerns regarding the functioning of private de-addiction centres, stating that unlike government-run outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres, where Buprenorphine is supplied by the state, private centres procure the medicine independently. The committee observed that private centres have often faced allegations of misuse of the drug and recommended stricter monitoring and regulatory oversight.
Gill informed the House that the committee had also observed an increase in the use of buprenorphine inside prisons, indicating that dependence on the medication was becoming more widespread even among inmates undergoing treatment.
The committee, however, acknowledged that the number of patients seeking treatment had increased. According to the report, the number of addicts visiting OOAT centres rose from around two lakh in 2022 to 3.17 lakh in 2026, which it attributed to the state government’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, that has encouraged more addicts to seek medical treatment.
Among its recommendations, the panel called for expanding the capacity of de-addiction centres by increasing the number of beds and ensuring that every patient initiated on buprenorphine remains under medical observation for at least 15 days before continuing treatment.
Addicts voluntarily approaching de-addiction centres: Minister
Responding to the committee’s observations, Punjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said the increase in buprenorphine consumption should not be viewed negatively, as it reflects the growing number of drug addicts voluntarily approaching de-addiction centres under the government’s anti-drug initiatives.
He maintained that the rise in procurement of the medicine was primarily due to increased participation in treatment programmes launched under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign and indicated that more people were coming forward to overcome opioid addiction through medically supervised treatment.
