Over 4200 villages declared drug-free in Haryana between January-July 2025

Chandigarh, Sep 11 (PTI) Between January and July 2025, 4,233 out of 7,354 villages in Haryana have been declared drug-free.

Similarly, out of 1,956 wards, 910 wards now fall under the drug-free category, an official statement said on Thursday, calling it an effort to change the course of social life at both rural and urban levels.

The Kurukshetra district has taken the lead by declaring 410 villages drug-free, followed by Nuh with 310 villages and Kaithal with 232 villages.

The police implemented a joint verification system of CID and Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau to make the process more reliable and transparent, ensuring a true assessment of the drug-free status of villages.

"This achievement demonstrates that drug eradication is not merely a legal matter but has become a social revolution," the statement said.

Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur Thursday said that the goal of Haryana Police is not just to catch criminals, but to completely free society from the shackles of drugs. He emphasised that 'drug-free Haryana' is not merely a matter of law and order but a social and moral responsibility.

Declaring villages and wards drug-free proves that when administration, police, and society work together, change is possible, he said. Through strict law enforcement, economic strikes on traffickers' illegal assets, and community participation, Haryana is emerging as a model for the entire country, he added.

Director General of Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau, O P Singh, stated that the comprehensive campaign of Haryana Police proves that if law enforcement and social awareness are combined, any major social crisis can be eradicated from the roots.

The rising number of drug-free villages and wards, increasing conviction rates, property seizures worth crores, and preventive detention orders are proof that Haryana is leading the way in realising the dream of a drug-free India, Singh said.

DGP Kapur further said that from January to July 2025, 67 commercial quantity cases were adjudicated, out of which 42 resulted in convictions.

The average conviction rate during this period stood at 62.68 per cent. In 2024, 130 cases were adjudicated, with 93 convictions, marking a conviction rate of 71.53 per cent, the DGP said.

In the current year, districts like Hisar, Gurugram, Nuh, Faridabad, and Sirsa recorded a 100 per cent conviction rate, proving that police and prosecution have been fully successful in securing punishment for criminals in courts, the statement said.

To break the backbone of drug traffickers, Haryana Police carried out economic crackdowns on their illegal assets under relevant provisions of the law.

In 2025 so far, assets worth more than Rs 1.75 crore have been seized and frozen, while proceedings are underway to seize and freeze assets worth more than Rs 32.18 crore.

"This step makes it clear that the police are not only blocking illicit money earned from drug trafficking but also eliminating it entirely through legal processes. Such economic action is proving crucial in weakening the criminals' networks from the roots," the statement said.

The statement further said that Haryana Police did not limit its actions against drug traffickers only to criminal cases but also made maximum use of provisions for preventive detention.

Under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS Act), 96 cases have been reviewed in 2025 so far, out of which the Home Department passed detention orders in 51 cases. PTI SUN MNK MNK