Wants Rehab Policy Status, NDPS Trends, Panchayat Accountability
Shimla | May 14, 2025:
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today has come down hard on the state government, demanding concrete and time-bound measures to curb the spiraling drug menace.
Acting on a petition filed in CWP No. 83 (D. Khanna vs. State of Himachal Pradesh), the Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia has issued a slew of tough directives, highlighting institutional gaps and calling for a coordinated crackdown.
The Court's directions follow a detailed status report submitted by the Director General of Police on July 26, 2024.
The figures reveal a disturbing trend: up to June 2024 alone, the state registered 878 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, with 1,212 arrests made.
In addition, 77 cases of illegal opium cultivation and one of illegal cannabis cultivation were reported, while wild cannabis spread over 27.05 bighas was destroyed.
To tackle cross-border trafficking, the Court noted the deployment of Himachal Police at a new Inter-State Coordination Centre set up in Panchkula.
It also appreciated the use of technology, including the state’s “Drug Free Himachal” mobile app, which has received 172 citizen tips since its launch.
The CID provided another 147 intelligence inputs in the same period. Specialized training for drug crime investigation is reportedly underway at the Police Training College in Daroh.
But the Court isn’t just stopping at enforcement. It has asked the state to present a district-wise chart of NDPS cases over the past five years (January–December), so the judiciary can assess whether the situation is worsening or improving.
The Court also took note of suggestions filed by the Amicus Curiae, calling for active participation of grassroots officials—Revenue, Forest, and Panchayat authorities—in flagging illegal cannabis cultivation.
The High Court has now asked the government to consider penalizing panchayats that fail to report such activity and rewarding those that proactively curb it.
On the rehabilitation front, the Court pulled up the state for dragging its feet on the “State Policy on Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts”, which, according to an older affidavit, has been under review since 2019.
The government must now file an affidavit clarifying whether the policy has finally been notified.
Additionally, the state must submit full details of all district-level de-addiction centers—including available infrastructure, number of doctors, and supporting staff—to evaluate the reach and readiness of the rehab system.
Seen as a judicial wake-up call, the order is expected to push systemic reforms across the state’s anti-drug machinery.
The matter will now be heard next on May 27, 2025, with the Court expected to closely review the government's compliance and proposed roadmap.
#DrugFreeHimachal #HighCourtAction #RehabReform #AccountabilityNow
