Life Term, Rs 5 Lakh Fine, Property Seizure: Himachal Calls For Stricter Drug Laws

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday called for life imprisonment to drug peddlers and suggested several other changes to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Advocating for more powers to the state under the NDPS Act, he said the punishment for drug offences should be increased from five years to life imprisonment.

Virtually addressing the regional conference on 'Drug smuggling and National Security' chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday, the Chief Minister said such offences should be made non-bailable regardless of the quantity involved, a statement said.

Smuggling of psychotropic substances or synthetic drugs, especially 'chitta' (adulterated heroin), in "intermediate" quantity has become a menace for the state police as, in 95 per cent of cases, the drug is smuggled in "consumable or intermediate quantities", an offence bailable under the NDPS Act.

Mr Sukhu also stressed the importance of addressing cases of drug overdose leading to deaths and called for necessary changes to the Act to address the matter.

He also spoke of the need to delegate powers of confiscation to states and suggested amending the Act to insert a provision to fine offenders Rs 5 lakh and confiscate their properties.

Mr Sukhu urged the Centre to establish a zonal office of the Narcotics Control Bureau, a modern hi-tech Jail in Kullu district, a modern forensic laboratory and a mobile lab in the state to expedite the investigation of cases.

The Himachal Chief Minister also sought a more liberal financial assistance from the Centre to operate drug de-addiction centres in the state.

"Himachal Pradesh is among the few states in the country employing preventive detention measures to combat the problem effectively and has also constituted an Advisory Board in this regard," the Chief Minister said, according to the statement.