Himachal to link DC, SP performance ratings to drug control efforts

In its fight against the drug menace, the Congress government made anti-Chitta (heroin) testing mandatory for recruitment in all departments, including students seeking admission in professional colleges; it was even decided to include a numerical rating in the Annual Confidential Reports of Deputy Commissioners and Chiefs of Police based on their performance in combating the drug menace.

Stating that the State government has decided to launch the second phase of the “anti-Chitta” awareness campaign in all government schools and colleges from June 1 to August 20, 2026, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday, May 11, 2026, said that administrative officials and police officers will visit at least ten educational institutions in their districts to create awareness among students about the ill-effects of the drug.

“The state government will ensure strict compliance by pharmaceutical companies in the production and distribution of drugs and any diversion of drugs will be seriously examined. Licenses of shops found selling drugs illegally will be cancelled,” he said in Shimla.

The Prime Minister said the government is committed to eradicating ‘chitta’ from society to ensure a healthy environment. “The state government has decided to include numerical rating in the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police based on their performance in combating drug menace and implementing Anti-Chitta awareness campaign,” he added.

He said that the first phase of the ‘anti-chitta’ campaign was launched in November last year, 6,811 cases have been recorded under the NDPS Act from 2023 till date, which is 33.18% higher than the tenure of the previous government. “During this period, 10,357 accused were arrested and 45,867 kilograms of narcotics, including ‘chitta’, were seized,” he said, adding that this clearly shows that the Congress government is not restricting anti-drug action to just paperwork but is taking strong and decisive action on the ground.

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Prime Minister said that 174 drug traffickers and mafia have been arrested so far under the Prevention of Illegal Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, whereas the previous BJP government had failed to implement the Act during its five-year tenure.

“Currently, Himachal Pradesh ranks first in the country in preventive actions against drug lords under the PIT-NDPS Act. Himachal Pradesh Police alone will account for more than one-third in 2026 so far. [approximately 33%] of all preventive actions taken under the NDPS Act across the country,” Mr. Sukhu alleged.

He said around £51bn worth of illicit assets had been seized in the last three-and-a-half years in a bid to attack the financial roots of the illicit drug trade; this figure is almost three times higher than during the previous government’s tenure.