Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Sep 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reiterated the Centre’s commitment to make India drug-free over the next three years, while highlighting measures taken to combat drug trafficking and strengthen the country’s anti-narcotics framework.
Addressing a press conference on the government’s fight against narcotics, Shah said the Centre had set a clear roadmap to achieve the goal.
“We are committed to build a drug-free India,” Shah said.
“A timeline has been set, different Ministries have been made responsible, measurable outcome targets have been fixed, and quarterly reviews and outcome-based accountability and responsibility are also going to be fixed by us,” he added.
Shah outlined the roadmap for the next three years and shared data on the progress made in the fight against narcotics. He said the country was at a critical juncture and must collectively ensure that addiction is defeated for the sake of future generations.
Comparing the seizure of narcotics under successive governments, Shah said, “During the Congress rule from 2004 to 2014, 26 lakh kg of drugs were seized. Today, that figure has increased from 26 lakh kg to more than 1.19 crore kg seized during the period from 2014 to 2026.”
He said the value of drugs seized during the Congress-led period was around Rs 40,000 crore, while under the campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the value had risen to Rs 1.89 lakh crore.
Shah also highlighted the government’s efforts to destroy seized narcotics. He said 3.36 lakh kg of drugs were destroyed between 2004 and 2014, compared with 48.66 lakh kg destroyed during the 2014-2026 period.
The Home Minister also underlined efforts to strengthen coordination among ministries, state governments and enforcement agencies through the Narco-Coordination (NCORD) mechanism.
The mechanism provides a structured and institutionalised platform for coordination on issues including monitoring drug trafficking, diversion of precursor chemicals, demand reduction and rehabilitation.
According to Shah, the mechanism has contributed to improved enforcement outcomes and intelligence-sharing and has remained consistently active at the apex, executive, state and district levels.
So far, 10 apex NCORD meetings have been held to guide policy formulation, strengthen inter-ministerial coordination and review the overall narcotics control framework.