New Delhi, Sep 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the third national conference of chiefs of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on Tuesday, which will focus on progress made on the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-29) and efforts undertaken to combat the narcotics menace in the country, a government statement said.
The two-day conference will be attended by the heads of ANTFs from 36 states and Union Territories, along with representatives from other concerned government departments and stakeholders.
The meeting will also deliberate on the identification and adoption of strategies to strengthen the supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction measures of the central government.
“Based on the theme of the “United Resolve, Shared Responsibility”, the conference will focus on progress of targets assigned to State/UTs ANTFs in recently released Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-29) and initiatives and efforts undertaken by the concerned stakeholders in combating the menace of drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country,” the statement said.
Shah will also release TV commercials to spread awareness against drugs and lay the foundation stones for new complexes of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zones in Lucknow and Dehradun.
During the conference, eight technical sessions are scheduled, covering institutional mechanisms under the vision document, dismantling drug-trafficking networks and cartels, demand reduction and rehabilitation, enforcement effectiveness, precursor and synthetic drugs, illicit cultivation and alternative crops, and investigations involving the darknet and cryptocurrency.
The sessions are aligned with the four strategic pillars of the Vision Document-Enforcement, Intelligence and Operations, (II) Precursors and Synthetic Drugs Control, (III) Demand and Harm Reduction and (IV) Capacity Building and Coordination, it said.
The deliberations will enable participating states, departments and agencies to move forward with renewed commitment towards combating drug trafficking across the country over the next three years, it said.
“The best-performing ANTF among the States/UTs will also be felicitated during the event, alongside the launch of the revamped NCB website,” the statement said.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Government of India is working in ‘mission mode’ to protect the nation’s youth from the adverse effects of drug abuse. Prime Minister Modi has set the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, and realising this vision is not possible without building a drug-free India,” the statement said.
The conference is likely to generate actionable strategies to strengthen drug law enforcement and keep the youth of the country away from drugs, it said.
“This national event will also seek to further deepen a future-ready partnership between NCB and State/UT ANTFs to combat drug abuse and realise the vision of a Drug-Free India,” it said. ( PTI )
