Gujarat to Open Drug Treatment Centres in Every District Amid Rs 3,727 Crore Drug Seizures

Gandhinagar | Gujarat — In a major step to combat rising drug abuse, the Gujarat government has announced that drug treatment and de-addiction centres will be opened in every district of the state. The decision comes after authorities seized over 41,000 kg of narcotics worth Rs 3,727 crore during 2024 and 2025, exposing the alarming spread of the drug menace. While intensifying its crackdown on traffickers and dismantling interstate and international supply chains, the government has now shifted focus toward rehabilitation, aiming to rescue youth trapped in addiction and provide them a path back to mainstream society.

Minister Kaushik Vekaria shared the data while replying to questions related to the Home Department. According to the official statement, narcotics worth Rs 244.59 crore — including ganja, charas, heroin, cocaine, opium and MD drugs — were seized from Jamnagar and Kutch districts alone.

The alarming trend has prompted the Gujarat government to make a budgetary provision for 2026-27 to establish drug de-addiction and treatment centres in every district. The move aims to rescue young people from addiction while continuing strict enforcement against traffickers.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi emphasized a two-pronged strategy. “Drug peddlers are being arrested without leniency. At the same time, we are counseling youth who fall prey to addiction, keeping their future in mind. Our focus is both enforcement and rehabilitation,” he said.

Sanghvi added that authorities are targeting the entire supply chain. “Investigations are being carried out from top to bottom — from international suppliers and domestic handlers to delivery agents and local distributors. We are determined to break the backbone of the drug mafia.”

In a dramatic action in Kutch, authorities deployed bulldozers to demolish properties worth Rs 32.20 crore linked to drug syndicates. Assets of a Gujarat-based drug mafia operating in Odisha were also seized and auctioned. The state has strengthened its enforcement mechanism by forming a dedicated anti-narcotics force alongside the Anti-Terrorism Squad. Together, these agencies have registered 1,647 cases and arrested several accused involved in trafficking networks.

Meanwhile, Assembly data also revealed insights into regulated liquor sales in Gujarat’s prohibition regime. Over the past two years, 32 hotels in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar were granted permission to sell liquor to eligible permit holders. The government earned Rs 116.32 crore in excise duty and special fees during this period.

As per rules, Rs 435 is collected per litre of foreign liquor — Rs 300 as excise duty and Rs 135 as a special fee. Based on total revenue, an estimated 26.75 lakh litres of liquor were legally sold over two years. Officials clarified that this figure applies only to licensed sales and not illegal trade.