Last Updated on March 9, 2022 at 10:45 am
Despite of repeated instructions of administration, the exercise to set up special courts in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure the speedy disposal of cases being registered under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) has still not come into motion.
In November, last year, due to alarming rise in the drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir, government decided to establish three special courts for speedy disposal of cases registered under NDPSA.
As per reports, in proposal with Home and Finance Departments, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs suggested setting up of one Special Court at Jammu and Srinagar and third one at Anantnag.
But it’s been four months, Finance and Home Department has yet not conveyed anything to the Law Department about the establishing of the Special Courts even after repeated directives, as per Daily Excelsior.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha while addressing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan Awards ceremony at SKICC Srinagar on November 12, 2021 had put light on collectively fighting the menace by all the government agencies. He had observed that drug abuse has been coming out as one of the most serious social problems and is causing threat to the society.
Though the reasons behind the inordinate delay in clearance of proposal for the Special Courts is yet not known. The Section 36 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 states: “The Government may, for the purpose of providing speedy trial of the offences under this Act, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute as many Special Courts as may be necessary for such area or areas as may be specified in the notification”.
