Himachal Pradesh and Punjab leaders address rising synthetic drug use and its impact on society

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted a rise in synthetic drug use during a conference on drug trafficking and national security. He noted a 340% increase in NDPS cases over the past decade, with heroin cases doubling. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann requested financial aid from the Union government to establish special NDPS courts. He reported 35,000 pending cases, stating the drug issue is harming Punjab's socio-economic balance and linked to international drug cartels. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini reported progress in combating drug trafficking, with the conviction rate under the NDPS Act rising from 48% in 2023 to 54% in 2024.