Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday announced a new hardline against drug smugglers in Jammu and Kashmir, which he said would “echo through generations” and involve confiscating their properties, revoking licences, passports and Aadhaar and freezing bank accounts.
Sinha launched a 100-day campaign for drug-free Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu’s Maulana Azad Stadium on Saturday, which began with a padyatra where hundreds of people from different walks of life participated.
Drug addiction is emerging as a major concern in Jammu and Kashmir, with many expressing fears that the Union Territory is going the Punjab way. The new hardline has followed a campaign against “narco-terrorism” — a narrative that puts drugs and militancy in the same bracket, deserving the same treatment.
The government has, over the years, attached properties of several alleged drug dealers while booking and arresting hundreds in related cases. The new campaign suggests outright confiscation of properties.
“Drug smugglers’ assets will be seized, ringleaders prosecuted, and punishment will be delivered swiftly. The administration will confiscate all property, revoke licences, passports, Aadhaar and freeze bank accounts of all those involved. This crackdown against drug smugglers will echo through generations,” Sinha said.
The earlier measures seem to have done little to combat the addiction. In December, Kashmir divisional commissioner Anshul Garg said the number of addicts had tripled in the last three years in the Valley alone. Garg, however, did not reveal the numbers. A 2023 parliamentary panel report had revealed that 13.5 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir, or 10 per cent of
its population, were consuming drugs.
Sinha on Saturday said the next three months were pivotal in combating the menace and the campaign was advancing in six phases — intensive awareness drive, youth-focused events, community engagement, strict enforcement, rehabilitation and evaluation.
The LG said drug abuse was among Jammu and Kashmir’s gravest challenges and blamed Pakistan for it. “Our neighbour is using cross-border smuggling to poison our communities and undermine our nation’s future. Every officer carries one obligation: this must stop. The full force of the law is now directed at smugglers. Their networks will be dismantled without delay,” he said.
Sinha directed senior officers to take swift action on complaints and strengthen grassroots intelligence with the help of panchayats, mohalla committees, chowkidars, lambardars (village headman) and ward surveillance committees to identify and punish the culprits. “We have given voice to a resolve that will reach every village, town, city, home, and heartbeat in Union Territory, fulfilling the pledge of a drug-free region,” he said.
“We have issued a new standard operating procedure against drug traffickers. Under this SOP, we have taken a crucial decision to revoke passports, driving licences, Aadhaar numbers, and arms licences of smugglers involved in drug trafficking. If they are absconding, a look-out circular will be issued immediately,” he added.
The LG also administered the “anti-drug pledge” to residents and unveiled the official campaign mascot.