Make NDPS Act stricter: DGP

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 15

Making the NDPS Act more stringent is the need of the hour to curb the drug menace as opium consumption has risen from 0.2 per cent in 2001 to 1.14 per cent.

“Following the dilution of the NDPS Act in 2001, the opium consumption increased to 2.8 per cent in Punjab, 2.6 per cent in Haryana and 1.7 per cent in Himachal. As such, there is a need to make the Act more deterrent,” said Himachal DGP SR Mardi.

Prior to 2001, there was no categorisation of the quantity seized and in case drugs were recovered from any person, there was a provision of 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. But after the commercial and small category was introduced, the imprisonment was reduced to one year for small seizures.

As a result, the peddlers started smuggling drugs in small quantities and increased the number or rounds.

“I had also mentioned this during the CM conference held in Chandigarh recently that there is a need to revisit the NDPS Act to combat the problem of drugs and ensure that the accused are not granted bail,” Mardi added.

It was alleged that the Act was ostensibly misused to settle personal scores and wreak political vendetta against opponents.

In order to wean away people from such illegal activities, alternative crops like high or ultra high-density apple cultivation (generating Rs 3 lakh from a bigha) have to be introduced and the government should play a pro-active role. “Fiber and medicine industry should be set up to use cannabis as raw material to increase the income,” said experts.