Chandigarh, Oct 31 The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday approved setting up 35 exclusive special National Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) courts across the state to ensure speedy disposal of drug-related cases, reduce judicial pendency and strengthen the ongoing fight against the drug menace.
A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
An official statement of the Chief Minister’s Office said Punjab is facing a serious challenge of drug trafficking and abuse, with approximately 20,000 NDPS cases registered and around 27,000 arrests made annually in the state.
Of these, approximately 12,000 cases are tried by Sessions Courts, while only around 5,700 cases are disposed of annually, resulting in 52,577 pending cases as on August 31, 2026. Consequently, the average disposal time for such cases is approximately eight years, it said.
The Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had assessed the requirement for additional exclusive special NDPS courts to clear the backlog over the next five to seven years. Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the establishment of 35 such courts in the first phase.
Along with this, 385 posts have been approved, comprising 35 Additional District and Sessions Judges, 315 supporting staff members and 35 Assistant District Attorneys.
An estimated expenditure of approximately Rs 75 crore, including infrastructure costs, has also been sanctioned.
The existing designated courts will continue functioning until the new exclusive special NDPS Courts become fully operational.
These dedicated courts will facilitate speedy disposal of NDPS cases, reduce pendency and delays, and ensure better utilisation of government witnesses.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the judicial mechanism against drug-related offences and further the Punjab government’s efforts to break the backbone of the drug menace in the state, it said.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved amendments to the service rules governing revenue ‘Patwaris’ and ‘Kanungos’, paving the way for restoration of their district-level cadre.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved the transfer of 217 Kanals and 14 Marlas of government-owned land situated at Village Khandebad, Tehsil Lehragaga, Sangrur, from the Department of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management to the Punjab Mandi Board for establishing a new grain market.
The land will be transferred at the Collector Rate of Rs 15 lakh per acre, involving a total consideration of Rs 4.08 crore.
The proposed grain market is expected to provide better marketing infrastructure and substantial convenience to farmers and the common people of the region, it said.
The Cabinet also approved three important sets of rules aimed at strengthening the implementation of labour welfare and social security provisions in Punjab.
These include the Code on Wages (Punjab) Rules, 2026, framed under the Code on Wages, 2019; the Punjab Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026, framed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; and the Punjab Social Security Rules, 2026, framed under the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The Cabinet also approved the award of the Wet Waste-Based Compressed Biogas (CBG) Project for the Mohali Cluster to HPCL Renewable and Green Energy Limited (HPRGE) on a nomination basis.
The project will be established at Village Samgauli, Dera Bassi, under the Municipal Corporation Mohali.
(PTI News)
