Kerala govt wants Centre to amend NDPS Act, ensure stringent punishment for those involved in drug cases

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday wanted the Centre to bring necessary amendments in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to ensure stringent punishment to those involved in drug cases. [caption id=“attachment_6997241” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kerala Legislative Assembly in Thiruvananthapuram. Wikimedia Commons[/caption] NDPS Act is an act that prohibits a person to produce, manufacture, cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. Replying to a question in the Assembly, excise minister TP Ramakrishnan said the state had already sent letters to the Centre and met respective union ministers with the request to amend the Act. “The present NDPS Act has several limitations. That’s why we have asked the Centre to amend the Act. We want those who possess the contraband substance to get maximum punishment,” he said. The situation in which such culprits get bail easily should be avoided, the minister added. Ramakrishnan said a total of 21,363 cases had been registered under the NDPS Act in the state after the CPI(M)-led LDF government came to power three years ago. “It was against the 4,880 cases registered during the five-year tenure of the previous Congress-led UDF government,” he added. While the UDF government had registered 11,602 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (COTPA) Act, the present Left government has registered over 2.42 lakh cases so far in this regard, he said. Enforcement and awareness drives had been strengthened in the state to reduce the consumption of drugs and other contraband substances among people, the Minister added.