Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Punjab government has empowered senior police officers to exercise specific powers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, as part of its efforts to intensify action against drug trafficking and curb the drug menace in the state.
According to a notification published in the Punjab Government Gazette on October 21, 2026, the Department of Home Affairs has authorised Police Commissioners and officers in charge of police ranges holding the rank of Inspector General of Police (IG) or above to exercise powers under Section 6 of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.
The notification states that Commissioners of Police of IG rank and above will be authorised to exercise these powers within their respective jurisdictions. Similarly, IG-rank officers heading police ranges will be able to exercise the powers within their designated areas.
In districts where a Police Commissioner or an IG-rank range officer is not posted, the notification empowers the Inspector General of Police, Punjab, to designate an officer of the rank of Inspector General or above to exercise the specified powers.
The notification names the following officers for the purpose:
- S. A. S. Rai, IPS, Special Director General of Police, Traffic
- S. Gautam Cheema, IPS, Additional Director General of Police
- Sh. Shivve Verma, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Internal Security
- Sh. Kaustubh Sharma, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Security
- Sh. Nainihal Singh, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Internal Vigilance Cell
- S. Boopathi, IPS, Inspector General of Police, Provisioning
The notification was issued by Alok Sekhar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Department of Home Affairs.
The move establishes a formal authorisation framework for designated senior officers to exercise the specified statutory powers in their jurisdictions, as the state continues its efforts to tackle drug-related offences.
