New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the 3rd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) heads of states and Union Territories here on Tuesday, with the two-day event set to deliberate on strengthening the country’s fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

On the occasion, HM Shah will also release television commercials (TVCs) aimed at spreading awareness about the harmful effects of drugs and the need to stay away from substance abuse. He will also lay the foundation stones for the new complexes of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zones in Lucknow and Dehradun.

The event will also witness the felicitation of the best-performing ANTF among the states and Union Territories. The revamped NCB website will also be launched during the conference.

The two-day conference is being organised by the NCB and will bring together the heads of ANTFs from all 36 states and Union Territories. Representatives from various government departments, agencies and other stakeholders are also expected to participate in the deliberations.

Officials said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, the government is working in “mission mode” to protect the country’s youth from the adverse consequences of drug abuse and to strengthen efforts against the drug menace.

“Prime Minister Modi has set the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, and realising this vision is not possible without building a drug-free India. This conference will serve as a powerful platform to safeguard future generations from the menace of drugs,” an official said.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the conference, being held under the theme ‘United Resolve, Shared Responsibility’, will review the progress made towards targets assigned to state and UT ANTFs under the recently released Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-29).

The deliberations will also focus on initiatives and measures undertaken by various stakeholders to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country, the ministry said.

The conference will discuss the identification and adoption of appropriate strategies to further strengthen the Centre’s measures for supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction, according to the Home Ministry.

The technical deliberations have been structured around the four strategic pillars outlined in the Vision Document — Enforcement, Intelligence and Operations; Precursors and Synthetic Drugs Control; Demand and Harm Reduction; and Capacity Building and Coordination.

As part of the two-day event, eight technical sessions have also been planned.

The discussions will also underline the need for a whole-of-government approach, with participating states and UTs, departments, and agencies expected to use the conference as a platform to renew their collective commitment towards tackling drug trafficking effectively across the country over the next three years.

The deliberations are expected to result in actionable strategies aimed at further strengthening drug law enforcement mechanisms and protecting the country’s youth from the harmful effects of drugs.

The national conference will also seek to deepen and strengthen a future-ready partnership between the NCB and state and UT ANTFs, to enhance coordinated action against drug abuse and work towards the vision of a Drug-Free India.

–IANS

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