Amit Shah to chair 7th NCORD meeting; launches nt’l narcotics helpline ‘MANAS’

NEW DELHI: On Thursday, Union home minister and minister of cooperation Amit Shah will preside over the seventh Apex Level Meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) in New Delhi. During this event, the Home Minister will launch the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) and inaugurate the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Office in Srinagar.

Additionally, Amit Shah will release the NCB ‘Annual Report 2023’ and a compendium on ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’. The primary aim of the meeting is to coordinate and synergize the efforts of various central and state government agencies involved in countering drug trafficking and abuse across India.

Several proactive steps have been taken as part of this strategy, including organising regular NCORD meetings at all levels of the four-tier system, launching a dedicated centralised NCORD Portal for sharing activities and best practices, and forming a Joint Coordination Committee to handle operational matters in large cases with connections to other crimes and international ramifications. Additionally, a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has been established in each state and Union Territory (UT), with a high priority given to drug disposal drives.Other notable initiatives include the launch of the NIDAAN Portal for narco offenders, the creation of canine squads for drug detection, strengthening forensic capabilities, and the establishment of Special NDPS Courts and Fast Track Courts. The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) has been instrumental in generating awareness against drug abuse.

The NCORD mechanism, established in 2016 for better coordination between states and the Ministry of Home Affairs, was further strengthened in 2019 through a four-tier system.