‘Punjab has more cops dealing with drugs than NCB has for nation’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 4

Punjab has more cops deployed in the state to deal with drug menace than the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has for the entire country. Information to this effect was furnished before the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a petition on implementation of mandatory directions issued by the Bench for arresting drug problem in the state.

Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said the operational strength of the NCB was only about 607 for the entire country, which was lesser than Punjab STF with operational strength of about 665. Gupta, who remained on his feet for more than two hours during the hearing even after the High Court asked him to sit, said he was trained to do so.

Gupta added that only 29 officers were posted in the NCB, including four IPS officers. STF, on the other hand, had six IPS officers, including an Additional Director-General of Police, and 22 PPS officers posted with it.

“Many NCB officers of SP/DSP rank are drawn from the Central armed police forces, such as the BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB and the ITBP, while those posted in the STF have rich operational experience,” the Bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu was told.

Gupta submitted that about 8,000 vacancies were there in various ranks of the Police Department at present, which was about 10 per cent of the total posted strength of Punjab Police. The court advised the state government to fill the vacancies at the earliest possible.

The High Court Bench took note of the fact that Punjab had around 550-km-long border with neighbouring Pakistan. As such, the state police had to be prepared to battle on many fronts such as state sponsored terrorism, proxy war, narco-terrorism, influx and circulation of fake Indian currency notes to maintain peace and communal harmony.

The court appreciated Gupta for designating Police School Liaison Officers (PSLO) and Police College Liaison Officers (PCLO) in most of the police stations for maintaining regular touch with principals and heads of colleges and schools.

On Tuesday, the high court had set a three-month deadline for the registration of all de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in the state under the relevant provisions of law.

The Bench had said that all major centres were also required to have psychologists and psychiatrists.

Top cop’s defence

Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta informs the High Court that the operational strength of the Narcotics Control Bureau was only about 607, which was less than Punjab STF with operational strength of about 665.

8,000 vacancies to be filled

There are about 8,000 vacancies in various ranks of the police, which is about 10% of total strength. The court advised the state to fill the vacancies at the earliest.