Jammu, Feb 07: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday told the Legislative Assembly that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to tackle drug addiction and illegal trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic substances across the Union Territory.
In a written reply to a question by MLA Yudhvir Sethi, the Health and Medical Education Department said strict action is being taken against violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, particularly cases involving the misuse and illegal sale of intoxicating medicines.
The government said a series of regulatory and enforcement measures have been put in place to prevent diversion of drugs prone to abuse. CCTV cameras have been made mandatory in medical sale establishments and a computerised billing system for procurement and sale of medicines has been enforced across the Union Territory.
“No fresh or renewal drug sale licence is granted without installation of CCTV cameras,” the reply said, adding that 100 per cent coverage of CCTV installation has been achieved, while computerised billing has reached 99.9 per cent of medical establishments.
To check the clandestine inflow of intoxicating drugs, the government said drug control authorities are keeping a close watch on courier service providers.
It said coordination has also been strengthened with drug controllers of neighbouring states and Union Territories to curb inter-state smuggling of medicinal preparations.
The government said joint enforcement exercises are being conducted with agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau, police, excise department, revenue authorities and air cargo units to disrupt illegal supply chains and trafficking networks.
It added that regular meetings under the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism are being held at both UT and district levels, chaired by the Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners respectively, to review anti-drug measures and monitor progress.
The government also highlighted its focus on prevention and awareness, saying 518 awareness programmes were organised across Jammu and Kashmir during 2025–26 up to December to educate people about the harmful effects of drug abuse.
It said the toll-free helpline number 104 is being widely publicised through awareness programmes and print and electronic media to enable citizens to report illegal sale and misuse of drugs.
The reply said the multi-pronged strategy combines strict enforcement, inter-agency coordination and public awareness to address the drug menace in the Union Territory.(KNS).
