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

In its battle against the drug menace, the Congress government has made anti-Chitta (heroin) testing compulsory for recruitment across all departments, including students seeking admission in professional colleges, even as it has been decided to include numerical grading in the Annual Confidential Reports of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, based on their performance in tackling the drug menace.

Asserting that the State government has decided to launch the second phase of ‘anti-Chitta’ awareness campaign from June 1 to August 20, 2026 in all government schools and colleges, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday (May 11, 2026), said administrative authorities and police officers will visit at least ten educational institutions in their respective areas to create awareness among students about the ill-effects of drugs.

“The State government will ensure strict compliance by pharmaceutical companies regarding the manufacturing and distribution of medicines and any diversion of drugs will be viewed seriously. The licences of shops found selling medicines illegally would be cancelled,” he said in Shimla.

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

He said that the first phase of the ‘anti-chitta’ campaign was launched last year in November, from 2023 till now, 6,811 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, which is 33.18% higher than during the previous government’s tenure. “During this period, 10,357 accused persons have been arrested and 45,867 kilograms of narcotic substances, including ‘chitta’, have been seized,” he said, adding this clearly demonstrates Congress government has not limited action against drugs to paperwork, but has taken strong and decisive action on the ground.

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

“Presently Himachal Pradesh ranks first in the country in preventive action against drug kingpins under the PIT-NDPS Act. In year 2026 so far, Himachal Pradesh Police alone accounts for more than one-third [approximately 33%] of all preventive actions taken under the NDPS Act across the country,” claimed Mr. Sukhu.

He said that, in order to strike at the financial roots of the illegal drug trade, illegal assets worth nearly ₹51 crore have been seized over the last three-and-a-half years, which is almost three times higher than during the previous government’s tenure.