{"id":13160,"date":"2026-10-31T14:42:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T14:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jeevaypunjab.com\/?p=13160"},"modified":"2026-10-31T14:42:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T14:42:57","slug":"punjab-moves-to-fast-track-drug-trials-mann-cabinet-clears-35-dedicated-ndps-courts-approves-385-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jeevaypunjab.com\/?p=13160","title":{"rendered":"Punjab Moves to Fast-Track Drug Trials: Mann Cabinet Clears 35 Dedicated NDPS Courts, Approves 385 Posts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u20b975-crore allocation planned for the first phase; 52,577 cases were pending as of August 31, with average disposal time estimated at eight years

Chandigarh,  In a major judicial reform aimed at strengthening the state’s response to drug trafficking and abuse, the Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has approved the establishment of 35 exclusive Special NDPS Courts across the state. The dedicated courts are intended to accelerate trials under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, reduce the mounting backlog and ensure that drug-related cases do not remain caught in prolonged judicial delays.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Saturday. Alongside the approval for the new courts, the Cabinet sanctioned 385 posts to provide the judicial and administrative manpower required to operate them. These include 35 posts of Additional District and Sessions Judges, 315 supporting staff positions and 35 Assistant District Attorneys. The estimated expenditure on the initiative, including infrastructure, is approximately \u20b975 crore.

52,577 cases pending, average disposal takes eight years

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the figures shared by the Chief Minister’s Office. Punjab has approximately 20,000 NDPS cases registered and around 27,000 arrests made every year. Of the cases registered, nearly 12,000 are tried by Sessions Courts, while approximately 5,700 cases are disposed of annually.

As a result, the state had 52,577 NDPS cases awaiting disposal as of August 31, 2026. The average time taken to conclude such cases is estimated at around eight years. The government believes that creating a dedicated judicial structure will help address this imbalance between the number of cases entering the system and the number being decided.

The prolonged pendency of drug cases poses challenges for both the prosecution and the wider justice system. Delays can affect the availability of witnesses, prolong proceedings and make the effective handling of evidence more difficult. Dedicated courts are expected to provide greater focus to these cases and improve the pace of hearings and judgments.

High Court assessment forms basis of decision

The proposal follows an assessment by the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the requirement for additional exclusive NDPS courts. The assessment considered the need to clear the accumulated backlog over the next five to seven years.

Based on this requirement, the state Cabinet has approved 35 exclusive courts in the first phase. The initiative is designed to create a specialised arrangement for NDPS matters rather than placing the entire burden on the existing Sessions Court system.

The approval of 35 judges, along with prosecutors and supporting personnel, is intended to ensure that the new courts have the institutional capacity to function effectively. The financial provision will also cover the infrastructure needed to establish and operate the courts.

Existing courts to continue until new system becomes operational

The government has clarified that the currently designated courts will continue hearing NDPS cases until the newly approved exclusive courts become fully operational. This transitional arrangement is important to ensure that ongoing proceedings are not disrupted during the creation of the new judicial infrastructure.

Once functional, the dedicated courts are expected to improve case management, reduce delays and make more effective use of government witnesses, who often have to appear in multiple proceedings. A more focused schedule of hearings could also help investigators and prosecutors coordinate their work more efficiently.

A judicial push in Punjab’s fight against drugs

The decision comes as the Mann government continues to place the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse at the centre of its governance agenda. While enforcement drives, arrests and seizures are important components of the campaign, the prosecution and timely conclusion of cases are equally critical to delivering meaningful results.

The establishment of exclusive NDPS courts seeks to address this judicial dimension of the problem. Arrests and the registration of cases alone cannot ensure effective deterrence unless investigations are followed by fair, timely and legally sustainable trials.

The new courts will therefore be judged not simply by the number established or posts filled, but by their ability to reduce pendency, improve trial timelines and ensure that cases reach their lawful conclusion. At the same time, speedy trials must preserve due process, protect the rights of accused persons and ensure that convictions are based on evidence tested in court.

With 52,577 cases pending and an estimated eight-year disposal period, the challenge is substantial. The Cabinet’s approval of 35 dedicated courts marks an important institutional step; its real impact will depend on how quickly the courts are established, staffed and made fully functional across Punjab.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u20b975-crore allocation planned for the first phase; 52,577 cases were pending as of August 31, with average disposal time estimated at eight years Chandigarh,  In a major judicial reform aimed at strengthening the state’s response to drug trafficking and abuse, the Punjab Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has approved the establishment of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13160","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics","8":"category-punjab-2"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t