The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought assistance on how the problem of drug dependence among jail inmates ought to be addressed, asking its Amicus Curiae to examine the latest status report filed by the State of Punjab and assist the court in the matter. The Bench also made Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab and Haryana health departments, Union Territory of Chandigarh, the PGIMER parties to the ongoing petition.The direction assumes significance against the backdrop of figures already placed before the Bench showing that almost 50 per cent of the inmates lodged in different Punjab jails are drug-dependent, with most of them in the prime of their youth. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rajesh Gaur said the situation clearly reflected a serious challenge requiring the highest priority.“We request the learned Amicus Curiae to examine the status report filed today by the State of Punjab and render assistance to the Court with regard to the manner in which the problem ought to be addressed,” the Bench said.Taking the report on record, the Bench observed: “Perusal of the status report indicates that almost 50 per cent of the jail inmates lodged in different jails across the State are drug-dependent. Out of a total of 35,449 jail inmates lodged in different jails, 15,768 are dependent on drugs.”The Court also took note of the age-wise composition of the drug-dependent inmates, with the report indicating that most of them were young. “The age-wise composition has also been furnished in the status report, which indicates that most of these drug-dependent inmates are in the prime of their youth.”During the course of hearing, Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain, along with Central Government counsel Prajwal Chauhan, accepted notice on behalf of the Union of India. Advocate Abhinav Sood accepted notice on UT’s behalf, while Haryana Additional Advocate-General Deepak Balyan accepted notice on Haryana’s behalf.Before parting with the order, the Bench asserted: “The directions issued to the State of Punjab on the previous occasion shall also apply to the State of Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, and the respective affidavits shall also be filed by them before the next date of hearing.” The matter will next come up on September 8.The case has its genesis in a report by Administrative Judge of the Mansa Sessions Division. Among other things, the report said 530 of the 767 inmates in the jail — approximately 69 per cent — were registered with the OOAT Clinic established within the jail premises. The Administrative Judge noted that this indicated “a significant prevalence of drug addiction among the inmates.”Taking up the matter, the Bench on the previous date of hearing directed the State to spell out the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing registration of jail inmates with the OOAT Clinic. “The State shall further clarify the standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the registration of jail inmates with the OOAT Clinic. It shall also be clarified as to how the objective of normalising these jail inmates and tapering them off from the drugs is proposed to be achieved,” the Bench had directed.