CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has decided to purchase incinerators for destruction of narcotic drugs recovered by the police to avoid pollution.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) that was held under the Chairmanship of Additional DGP/Intelligence, Suresh Arora here on Thursday in which the officers from IB, Customs & Excise, Narcotics Control Bureau, BSF, Railway Police and IGs zones participated.

It was informed in the meeting that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked the department to stop the old practice of burning the seized drugs openly and assured full financial support for purchase of pollution free incinerators.

It was decided in the meeting to give coordinated thrust to the ‘War on Drugs’ already going on in the state and launch special campaign to arrest Proclaimed offenders and absconders wanted in NDPS Act cases.

Each department of state and central Law Enforcement Agencies was asked to nominate a nodal officer to coordinate and share information relating to smuggling of drugs and related crime so that narcotic smugglers could be tackled in a united way.

It was decided to circulate case studies of important NDPS Act cases to the members of ANTF to know the modus operandi of the drug smugglers. Narcotic Control Bureau assured to provide funds for the training of police personnel per the policy of the NCB.

Apex State Level Coordination Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Punjab will be requested to provide funds for generating awareness among the people against ill effects of drug abuse.

Narcotic Control Bureau was also requested to provide sample of narcotic drugs for training purposes.