As part of the Centre’s three-year blueprint to make India a ‘drug-free nation’ by 2029, six districts in Punjab have been identified among 73 “ultra-sensitive” districts.Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday, Amanjit Singh, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh; and Raj Kumar, Additional Director General (Media), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), detailed the vision document released by the MHA in June 2026. The comprehensive roadmap aims to dismantle the entire narcotics network through a coordinated strategy focusing on narcotics supply, demand and harm reduction.Amanjit said, “Out of 272 vulnerable districts identified nationwide where sports-based interventions will be promoted, 73 are classified as ‘ultra-sensitive’. In Punjab, these include five border districts—Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Fazilka and Ferozepur— and Ludhiana. Pathankot is the only Punjab border district excluded from the ultra-sensitive list.”Amanjit added that the MHA had set a target to dismantle 100 major national and international drug networks, bring back 100 fugitives and increase de-addiction centres from 334 to 1,751 by March 2029. “To counter cross-border trafficking, all border-guarding agencies will be equipped with advanced surveillance and anti-drone systems by March 2027,” he said.


