Chandigarh: In order to check the drug abuse, the Punjab Chief Minister on Saturday sought an intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to set up the NDPS courts in the state.
The Chief Minister also take part in the regional conference on ‘Drug Trafficking and National Security’ through video conference on Saturday and urged the government of India to give one-time financial assistance for 10 years to the state to create special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) courts and recruitment of public prosecutors along with supporting staff.
Mann said that there are 35,000 NDPS cases pending for session trial as on January 1, adding that at the present rate of disposal, on an average, a sessions court takes seven years to complete the trial of pending cases leaving aside all new added cases.
He also said that in the coming five years this average disposal time will increase from seven years (35,000 pending cases) to 11 years (55,000 pending cases). The Chief Minister said in order to clear the pendency in the next five years, state needs to create 79 new exclusive NDPS special courts and to appoint 79 Public Prosecutors along with supporting staff for these NDPS Special Courts.
He requested the Union Home Minister to ensure funding from National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse (Chapter 7-A of NDPS Act) for Anti-Narcotics Task Force, live monitoring systems for six bordering districts, purchase of equipment for technical surveillance, infrastructure and logistic requirement for 5G jamming solution for prisons, etc.
Mann said the state had sought Rs 2,829 crore through 16th Finance Commission which should be approved at the earliest for effective law enforcement and upgrading infrastructure and logistic support.