The finance ministry is looking into transferring the administration of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988, to bring all issues related to narcotics under one department, sources said.
The finance ministry administers the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance NDPS Act of 1985 and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1988, while the home ministry governs the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The transfer of the administration of the two Acts from DoR to MHA is under deliberation, two sources briefed on the matter said.
E-mails sent to Ministry of Finance and MHA for comments remained unanswered.
The Narcotics Control Bureau NCB is a central law enforcement and intelligence agency that is tasked with combating drug trafficking and the use of illegal substances under the provisions of the NDPS Act.
The 1985 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act, prohibits a person from the production, possession, sale, purchase, transport, storage and or consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.
The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1988 provides detention in certain cases for the purpose of preventing illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Sources said the transfer was being considered under the Government of India Allocation of Business Rules, 1961.
According to the Rules, DoR looks after all matters relating to international conventions, agreements, protocols, etc. Except those allocated to MHA, narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals are not included.
It has a Narcotics Department but the Narcotics Control Bureau is with MHA.
The MHA oversees all matters relating to the Narcotic Control Bureau, set up under the provisions of Section 4 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and coordination of all measures for preventing and combating abuse and illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. It looks at all matters relating to international conventions, agreements, protocols, etc. The Ministry of Home Affairs and other organizations under it are authorized to deal with illegal traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals that are narcotic in nature, except for matters allocated to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue. Sources said that the transfer of the NDPS Act and PITNDPS to MHA will lead to a single command chain and unification of all matters related to narcotics.