BANDIPORA: District Magistrate Bandipora Indu Kanwal Chib and Senior Superintendent of Police Ajaz Ahmad Zargar on Saturday chaired a meeting of the District Level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) to review progress in anti-drug enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation measures in the district.
The meeting, held at the Mini Secretariat in Bandipora, reviewed the roadmap, targets and progress achieved under enforcement, prosecution, awareness and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at curbing drug abuse and narcotics trafficking.
Officials discussed measures to dismantle identified drug networks, strengthen financial investigations in cases involving commercial quantities of narcotics, freeze and attach assets linked to drug offences and improve prosecution of cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The meeting also reviewed the status of NDPS-related FIRs, action taken against financial assets of alleged drug traffickers, installation of CCTV cameras in identified hotspots and measures to prevent illicit cultivation of narcotic crops.
The Assistant Drugs Controller briefed the meeting on inspections of medical shops, implementation of CCTV and computerised billing systems, notices served, licence suspensions, awareness programmes and inspections of courier service providers.
Officials from the Excise Department presented progress on the destruction of wild cannabis and poppy cultivation, field surveys and awareness campaigns conducted in the district.
The meeting further reviewed implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, including enforcement actions, fines and awareness initiatives. The functioning of de-addiction and addiction treatment facilities, drug-free campus initiatives, sports activities in vulnerable areas and specialised training programmes for police personnel were also discussed.
Directing departments to intensify efforts against drug abuse, the District Magistrate called for stronger enforcement, improved prosecution, expanded awareness campaigns and enhanced rehabilitation support. She also stressed the need for close coordination among departments to curb illicit cultivation, drug trafficking and substance abuse in the district.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Zaffar Husson Shawl, Deputy Director Prosecution, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Bandipora, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, District Information Officer, Assistant Drugs Controller, Medical Officer of the Addiction Treatment Facility and other concerned officers.
