Chandigarh, Mar 18 (PTI) Haryana Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda on Tuesday said the state government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the drug problem in the state.

"Strict legal action is being taken against drug smugglers, second, extensive awareness campaigns are being run in which people, especially the youth, are made aware about the ill-effects of drugs and third, adequate arrangements are being made for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts," Dhanda said in the state Assembly.

He said to ensure that the youth of the state do not fall into the trap of drugs and to crack down on drug smugglers, an authority called 'Sankalp' will be formed by the state government.

Notably, while presenting the state budget for 2025-26 in the state Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini proposed setting up of the authority called 'Sankalp'.

Dhanda was replying to a Calling Attention Notice given by opposition Congress MLAs regarding the "increasing effects of synthetic drugs and growing drug menace" in the state.

The minister said serious efforts are being made by the Police Department to dismantle the network of big drug smugglers.

Between 2020 and 2024, 16,781 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (NDPS Act). A total of 25,446 accused were arrested and sent to jail. Out of them, 1,767 cases were of commercial quantity, in which 3,714 accused were arrested.

Illegal property worth Rs 52.79 crore of 117 big smugglers was seized, he said.

Under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (PIT-NDPS Act 1988), 65 habitual smugglers have been taken into preventive custody so far, and apart from this, six other cases are under consideration of the government, the minister said.

As many as 111 illegal constructions of 100 big smugglers have been demolished.

During this period, 1,325 arrests were made in 969 cases of illegal sale of banned medicines and licences of 100 chemists were cancelled.

He said in the current year too, the police are after the drug smugglers with new resolve and energy.

He told the state Assembly that 567 new cases were registered under the NDPS Act in January and February 2025 in which 888 smugglers were arrested.

The government is also taking strict action against synthetic drugs. Between 2020 and 2024, action has been against the illegal supply of LSD, meth, amphetamine and methadone.

With the help of central agencies, the drug supply chain is being closely monitored. Police officers and employees are being given special training for the investigation of drug-related cases, he said.

Dhanda said to prevent interstate drug smuggling in the northern regions of India and to ensure mutual coordination among the states, an Inter-State Drug Secretariat (ISDS) was established in 2018 and which is headquartered in Panchkula.

It keeps an eye on drug smugglers by coordinating with various states of North India. Coordination with Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh has been further strengthened so that strict monitoring can be done on the state borders, he said.

Special surveillance is being kept at interstate border posts to prevent smuggling of drugs in the state. Vehicles and suspicious persons are being searched with the help of trained narco dogs. This has helped in curbing drug smuggling, he said.

Dhanda said the government is running awareness campaigns and children are being made aware of the ill-effects of drug abuse.

The government is also running awareness campaigns in villages, schools and other educational institutions, he said.

Dhanda said the number of de-addiction centres has increased from 98 in 2021-22 to 130 in 2024-25.

Congress member Shishpal Keharwala suggested that the government set up a task force that should also be tasked to catch the big fish involved in the drug trade.

He said the drug problem has assumed serious proportions in the state, especially in districts like Sirsa where it has spread its tentacles and sought that the government should take concrete steps to check the scourge.

Another Congress member Mandeep Singh Chatha said the drug problem is witnessing an increase in Haryana.

Drugs have reached schools and colleges, Chatha said, seeking to know what the government was doing about it.

Dhanda said the government is committed to total eradication of the drug problem and welcomed the suggestions given by both ruling and opposition members. PTI SUN KSS KSS