Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the 2nd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the national capital on 16 September.
On the occasion, Shah will also release the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Annual Report- 2024 and launch an online Drug Disposal Campaign, an official communique said.
ANTF Heads of 36 states and Union Territories, apart from stakeholders from other government departments, will be attending the two-day conference.
“The conference will serve as a strategic platform to reinforce Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to a Drug-Free India and to formulate a roadmap to achieve this goal,” it said.
The theme of the conference being organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau is “United Resolve, Shared Responsibility”.
It will hold a comprehensive review and analysis of the collective efforts made by all stakeholders concerned in combating the drug menace in the country and deliberate on the future roadmap.
Detailed deliberation on various facets of drug supply, demand reduction, and harm reduction, including their national security implication and steps to be taken for strengthening the Drug Law Enforcement in the country, will also take place during the event apart from the need of the whole of a whole-of-government approach required to address the menace.
Six technical sessions are lined up during the event, which would be as follows: Drug Free India @ 2047 — Whole of Government Approach,
Integrated Investigation — Top to Bottom / Bottom to Top approach,
Tracking Fugitives and Managing Foreign Offenders — Strategic Approaches,
Precursors, Synthetic Drugs and Clan Labs, Dark Web and Crypto Investigations
and Multi-Modal Modus in Global Trafficking, it added.
The deliberations are expected to generate actionable outcomes with a view to moving forward with a strategy drawing upon the strength of various stakeholders. The NCB and States/UTs Anti-Narcotics Task Forces envision a future-ready partnership that integrates technology, intelligence, and community action to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
The Modi government has adopted a “Zero tolerance policy” against drugs. Union Home Minister Shah had directed all states and UTs in 2021 to establish a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force.
The first National Conference of ANTF Heads from all states and UTs was held in April 2023.