New Delhi, Dec 17 : Punjab continues to battle a severe narcotics challenge, with data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday revealing that law enforcement agencies seized nearly 2.17 lakh kilograms of narcotic substances between 2019 and 2023, alongside crores of tablets and thousands of litres of illicit drugs.

This information came in as a written response from Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai while replying to a question from MP Swati Maliwal.

The MoS cited figures compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), showing narcotics seizures in Punjab stood at 44,239 kg in 2019, dipped to 37,364.676 kg in 2020, rose to 38,78.170 kg in 2021, peaked at 49,421.858 kg in 2022, and remained high at 47,609.38 kg in 2023.

Narcotics-related criminal cases show a similar upward pressure on the justice system. While 11,536 cases were registered in 2019, registrations dropped sharply to 6,909 in 2020 during the pandemic year before rising again to 12,442 in 2022 and 11,589 in 2023.

The number of cases pending trial climbed steadily from 23,671 in 2019 to 45,962 by the end of 2023, indicating a growing backlog.

Notably, conviction rates have improved consistently. From 64.8 per cent in 2019, the conviction rate increased to 67.2 per cent in 2020, 77.9 per cent in 2021, 79.2 per cent in 2022, and reached 82.7 per cent in 2023.

Drug overdose deaths remain a serious concern. Data shows 78 deaths in 2021, rising sharply to 144 in 2022, before declining to 89 in 2023.

On the rehabilitation front, the Centre supports 10 de-addiction and outreach facilities in Punjab.

Central funding for these centres rose from Rs 1.01 crore in 2022â??23 to Rs 2.96 crore in 2024-25, with over 11,000 persons rehabilitated annually.

/IANS