The Himachal Pradesh government has intensified its crackdown on the growing chitta menace by placing 234 highly sensitive panchayats under special police and CID surveillance across the state.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the measures while presiding over a meeting of the NCORD committee in Shimla on Monday. He said the state government was adopting a multi-pronged strategy focused on enforcement, awareness and rehabilitation to eliminate drug abuse from society.
The Chief Minister said around 12,000 individuals linked to drug-related activities had been identified so far and special deployment of police and CID personnel had been made in vulnerable panchayats to maintain strict monitoring and curb trafficking networks.
According to the government, 19 panchayats in Shimla district, nine in Solan, 20 in Sirmaur, 26 in Police District Baddi, 27 in Bilaspur, 14 in Hamirpur, 28 in Kullu, 24 in Mandi, 15 in Kangra, 13 in Chamba, 22 in Police District Nurpur, seven in Police District Dehra and 10 in Una district have been identified as highly sensitive to the drug menace.
Sukhu said the second phase of the Anti-Chitta awareness campaign would be launched from June 1 to August 20 in all government schools and colleges across Himachal Pradesh. Administrative and police officers would visit educational institutions to educate students about the harmful effects of drugs.
He said the government had also decided to include numerical grading in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police based on their performance in tackling drug-related activities and implementing the anti-chitta campaign.
The Chief Minister directed authorities to ensure forensic reports in chitta-related cases are prepared within five days to speed up investigations and trials. He also instructed police officials to maintain constant surveillance on drug trafficking activities and monitor repeat offenders closely.
Highlighting the government’s action against drug networks, Sukhu said that from 2023 till now, 6,811 cases had been registered under the NDPS Act, which was 33.18 percent higher than during the previous BJP government’s tenure. During the same period, 10,357 accused persons were arrested and 45,867 kilograms of narcotic substances, including chitta, were seized.
He further stated that 174 drug traffickers and mafia members had been detained under the PIT-NDPS Act and illegal assets worth nearly Rs 51 crore linked to the drug trade had been seized over the last three-and-a-half years.
The Chief Minister said the government would maintain zero tolerance against government employees involved in drug trafficking. He revealed that action had been taken against 123 government employees and police personnel in connection with drug-related activities, including the dismissal of 21 police personnel and 10 state government employees from service.
Sukhu said the government was also focusing on the rehabilitation of drug victims. He announced that a rehabilitation centre at Mashobra in Shimla district would become functional from May 20, while another centre at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College would be operational shortly.
