Rajya Sabha gives nod to NDPS (Amendment) Bill

The Rajya Sabha on Monday gave its nod to a bill to rectify errors in the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill 2021 was moved by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and passed by voice vote even as Opposition leaders staged a walkout over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in October and suspension of 12 MPs from the House over their unruly behaviour in the last session.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on December 13.

“There was an order of the High Court of Tripura, which very quickly wanted us to take it up and therefore we had to bring the Ordinance. I wish the opposition participated in this debate and then passed this legislation...,” Sitharaman said.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated on September 30. The anomaly crept in when the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was amended in 2014 to allow better medical access to narcotic drugs, and removing state barriers in transporting and licensing of essential narcotic drugs.

Taking part in the discussion, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said that to correct what was described as “clerical error” it has taken six years for the Narcotics Bureau and the government to identify the mistake.

In response, Sitharaman said: “We have inherited this from them (UPA government). We are trying to correct it.”