We Will Fulfil Resolve of Drug-Free India by 2029: HM Shah
Home Minister unveils three-year roadmap to tackle narcotics through enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation and coordination
- Three-year ‘Drug-free India’ roadmap to run from July 2026 to July 2029
- Drug seizures rose to over 11.9 million kg worth ₹1.89 lakh crore during 2014–2026
- 25 crore citizens reached under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan
- De-addiction centres to be increased threefold to 1,751
GG News Bureau
Panaji, 6th Sept: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday said the Centre will fulfil its resolve of creating a “Drug-free India” by 2029 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a press conference on narcotics control in Panaji, Shah said the fight against drugs has been made a national security priority and compared the campaign with the efforts to eliminate Naxalism.
He said a three-year roadmap for July 2026 to July 2029 has been prepared to achieve targets in a time-bound manner. The roadmap is based on four pillars — intelligence and operation-based enforcement, precursor and synthetic drug control, demand and harm reduction, and capacity building and coordination.
Shah said the government has adopted a coordinated approach to dismantle drug networks, trace financial links and strengthen investigations. The Bottom-to-Top and Top-to-Bottom investigation approaches will be used to trace both the source of small drug consignments and the destination of large consignments.
He said special emphasis has been placed on financial investigations, PIT-NDPS, dark-net and crypto-related investigations, while a dedicated mechanism is being developed to tackle synthetic drugs and precursors.
According to Shah, 26 lakh kg of drugs worth around ₹40,000 crore were seized between 2004 and 2014. From 2014 to 2026, seizures increased to more than 1.19 crore kg, valued at around ₹1.89 lakh crore. During the same periods, 3.36 lakh kg and 48.68 lakh kg of drugs respectively were destroyed.
Under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Shah said 25 crore citizens have been reached and administered a pledge, while 5.7 lakh people have been made drug-free through treatment and rehabilitation.
He said the government plans to increase the number of de-addiction centres threefold to 1,751 through coordinated efforts of the Social Justice, Health and Prison administrations. Around 10,000 volunteers will also participate in the campaign.
Shah said the Ministry of Education, along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and educational institutions, is working towards making educational institutions drug-free. Through NCC, NSS and My Bharat, lakhs of ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Mitras’ will also be prepared.
The Home Minister said the government is taking a quadrangular approach to prevent drug smuggling through the routes of the Death Triangle and Death Crescent. BSF, CISF, Indian Coast Guard, Customs and DRI will undertake risk-based profiling and strengthen surveillance at borders, ports, airports and cargo facilities.
He also highlighted measures against fugitives, saying 274 fugitives have been extradited from 36 countries between 2019 and July 2026. Properties worth around ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitives have been sealed or confiscated during the period.
Shah said the government aims to build a drug-free youth population by 2047 as a foundation for a developed India and will implement the 2026–2029 roadmap in mission mode with fixed timelines, measurable outcomes and quarterly reviews.
