Srinagar, July 17: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the NCB Zonal Office in Srinagar via a video conferencing link on Thursday.
Shah will also launch the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nisedh Asuchna Kendra). It will be India’s first toll-free anti-narcotics helpline.
He will also inaugurate the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Office at Srinagar.
The Home Minister will chair the 7th Apex Level Meeting of the Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) on Thursday, in New Delhi.
Amit Shah will also release NCB ‘Annual Report 2023’ and Compendium on ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’. The meeting is aimed to coordinate and synergize the efforts of various central and state government agencies involved in countering drug trafficking and abuse in India.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has adopted a ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ against drug trafficking to curb the menace of drugs. The Ministry of Home Affairs will achieve PM Modi’s goal of a drug-free India by 2047 through a 3 points strategy – strengthening of institutional structure, coordination among all narco agencies, and extensive public awareness campaign.
The first-ever national toll-free telephonic helpline – 1933 – along with an email will allow any person to tip off the NCB about narcotics crimes and related issues, official sources said on Monday. The helpline named MANAS will be rolled out during the seventh apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) to be held here on July 18.
“The toll-free number for MANAS (National Narcotics helpline) will be 1933 along with an email–info.ncbmanas@gov.in. The tips can be submitted by logging on to the website — ncbmanas.gov.in. Shah will launch these links on June 18,” a senior officer said.
The helpline aims to establish a user-friendly platform for every citizen to conveniently report drug-related matters 24×7.
This exclusive portal is dedicated to addressing a range of issues regarding drug-related matters including drug trafficking, illegal sale, purchase, storage, manufacturing, and illicit cultivation of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, according to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
The identity and all the information provided by citizens on the MANAS helpline links will remain confidential. The NCB shall verify the details provided and initiate action as deemed fit under the established procedures of Indian law and as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the NCB said.
Citizens can report any drug-related crime and seek help regarding rehabilitation and counseling using the MANAS helpline.
The establishment of India’s first-ever helpline to check drug trafficking and related crimes was in the works since 2021 when Shah chaired the third NCORD meeting in the national capital and directed the authorities to bring out a unified portal and helpline number.
Earlier, according to officials, members of the public could call a landline number 011-26761000 and email ddge-ncb@nic.in and adenf-ncb@nic.in. However, this NCB helpline was not manned at all times, and hence a need arose to have a national number, email, and portal, the officer said.
He will also release NCB’s annual report 2023 and compendium on ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’, an official release said.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government has adopted a ‘zero tolerance policy’ against drug trafficking to curb the menace of drugs, it said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs will achieve PM Modi’s goal of a drug-free India by 2047 through a three-point strategy — strengthening of institutional structure, coordination among all narco agencies, and extensive public awareness campaign, it said.
Several steps have been taken in this direction including organizing NCORD meetings of all stakeholders at all levels of the four-tier system regularly and the launch of a dedicated centralized NCORD portal for sharing of activities and best practices.
Also, the formation of a joint coordination committee for coordination on operational matters of specific large cases, which have connections with other crimes and international ramifications. Besides, a dedicated anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) will be set up in each state and UT, and high priority will be given to drug disposal drives and the launch of the NIDAAN portal for narco offenders.
Creation of canine squads for drug detection, strengthening the forensic capabilities, establishment of special NDPS courts and fast track courts, and launching Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) for awareness against drug abuse are also part of the initiatives.
The NCORD mechanism was formed in 2016 for better coordination between states and the Ministry of Home Affairs. It has been further strengthened through a four-tier system in 2019.
It has an apex-level NCORD committee, which is headed by the Union home secretary, an executive-level committee, which is headed by a special secretary, MHA, state-level committees, headed by chief secretaries, and district-level committees headed by district magistrates, the release said.
