Staff Reporter
Parliament today passed the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill. The legislation seeks to replace the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The Bill amends the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 to correct a drafting error. The Act regulates certain operations such as manufacture, transport, and consumption related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Replying to a debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Ordinance to this effect was promulgated with sensing an urgency to correct an error by bringing an amendment to this Act. She said, during that time Parliament was not in session, so the ordinance was promulgated. Responding to the allegation of opposition members that why the government delayed bringing the bill, she said that the error with regard to the bill was committed during the UPA regime and this government has brought this bill to correct the error which has lasted from 1st May 2014 to September this year.
Mrs. Sitharaman said, this Bill is only limited to amendment for correction. On the issue of seizure of a huge haul of heroine on Mundra Port, Mrs Sitharaman appreciated the prompt action undertaken by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The minister said that the agency has foiled the attempt of smuggling a huge cache of Heroin estimated to be around 3000 kilograms in the country. She added similarly the Agency has also seized around 16 Kilogram of Heroin in Delhi and arrested some Afghan national and one Indian national. She said that both these cases have also been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The Finance Minister reiterated that on the matter of drugs, all the Enforcement Agencies will work in cohesion to implement the rules