Tamil Nadu govt sanctions Rs 264 crore for 65 anti-narcotics police stations
The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs 264 crore to establish 65 dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force police stations, with over 1,600 personnel, as Chief Minister
The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs 264 crore to establish 65 dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force police stations, with over 1,600 personnel, as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay moves to fulfil a key election promise to intensify the crackdown on drugs. According to a Government Order issued on August 8, the specialised Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) units will operate across the state and focus exclusively on narcotics-related crimes. Read Full Story The government has earmarked about Rs 245.99 crore for recurring expenditure, with the remaining amount allocated for non-recurring costs. 65 ANTI-NARCOTICS UNITS ACROSS TAMIL NADU Of the 65 ANTF police stations, 37 will cover individual districts, while another 28 will operate across police districts under nine city Commissionerates. Chennai will get 12 units, the highest in the state, while Avadi, Tambaram, Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Tirunelveli will get two each.
Each field unit will have one Inspector, four Sub-Inspectors and 20 police personnel. In all, the government has sanctioned 65 Inspector posts, 260 Sub-Inspector posts and 1,300 police personnel for the field units. The order specifically states that personnel assigned to the ANTF should not be deployed for any duties unrelated to the task force. SPECIALISED HEADQUARTERS UNDER ADGP The statewide force will function under an Additional Director General of Police, with a dedicated ANTF headquarters also being established. The headquarters has been sanctioned 454 posts and will comprise 10 specialised wings dealing with operations, cybercrime, intelligence, investigations, crime records, training, legal affairs, IT support and administration. A cyber lab will also be set up, with two experts to be hired on contract at Rs 1 lakh per month each.
CYBER SURVEILLANCE, FINANCIAL PROBES The new units will gather intelligence on narcotics movement, conduct cyber-surveillance and register and investigate drug-related offences. They will also carry out financial investigations aimed at tracing and freezing movable and immovable assets linked to drug trafficking. The government has sanctioned 67 four-wheelers and 325 two-wheelers to improve the mobility of the task force. The anti-drug drive will also extend beyond policing. The Health and Family Welfare Department will focus on rehabilitation and reducing drug dependence, while education, youth and sports departments and local bodies will be involved in awareness programmes. TVK’S PROMISE TO CRACK DOWN ON DRUGS The move follows Vijay’s election promise to work towards a “Drug-Free Tamil Nadu”. At the first joint conference of district collectors, superintendents of police and senior officials after the TVK government assumed office in May, Vijay directed officials to intensify action against drug trafficking, organised crime and illegal sand mining.
The BriefWire