With the drugs menace spreading into the hinterland steadily, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that joint task forces (JTF) will be constituted in both rural and urban areas across the state to break the drug distribution network and “prevent drug abuse”.Given the rise in seizures and arrests, the decision of the CM to involve public representatives in helping enforcement agencies and identifying and breaking the drugs supply chain is vital. (HT File)In rural areas, the JTF will comprise of sarpanches, ward members, block development officers (BDOs), station house officers (SHOs) and representatives of NGOs working in the area. In urban areas, the task force will have municipal secretaries, ward councillors, and NGO representatives.“These task forces will identify locations where drugs are being sold and ensure strict action against drug peddlers,” Saini said, adding that JTF will function under the supervision of SEWA (social justice, empowerment, welfare of scheduled castes and backward classes, and antyodaya) department.As per official data, in 2025 Haryana had registered 3,738 first information reports (FIRs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and arrested 6,801 persons. Haryana had seized 204 kg heroin between January 2019 and December 2024, pointing towards the rising scale of drug trafficking in the state which is emerging as a key transit and consumption hub for narcotics.As per the data, the number of youth in the 18-30 age group who registered as OPD/IPD patients in government and private drug de-addiction centres of the state in financial year 2024-25 stood at 52,207, up from 50,429 in 2023-24 and 45,065 in 2022-23.Given the rise in seizures and arrests, the decision of the CM to involve public representatives in helping enforcement agencies and identifying and breaking the drugs supply chain is vital.Saini said that these task forces will undertake special drives to curb the sale of narcotics and apprehend those involved in the illegal drug trade. He said the task forces will be empowered to such an extent that drug traffickers will develop a strong fear of enforcement and abandon such activities altogether.Presiding over a review meeting of the SEWA department regarding its five-year roadmap and action plan under Haryana Vision-2047, Saini also administered a pledge to those present to support efforts against drug abuse and contribute towards making families, society, and the nation drug-free.“Breaking the drug distribution network is essential to completely eliminate drug abuse from the state,” Saini said, adding that the number of de-addiction and rehabilitation centres will be increased.Haryana government officials said the state has 119 de-addiction centres, 29 rehabilitation centres, and two mental health hospitals. A rehabilitation centre spread over six acres will be established in Kurukshetra on a PPP model.