The Punjab Cabinet approved 35 exclusive special courts to expedite trials under the NDPS Act. The move targets a backlog of 52,577 cases and average disposal delays of eight years.Chandigarh,Oct 31, 2026 20:18 ISTThe Punjab Cabinet on Saturday approved the establishment of 35 exclusive special courts for cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act to speed up trials and reduce the backlog of drug-related cases, news agency Press Trust of India reported.At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Cabinet also cleared amendments to service rules for revenue officials, the transfer of land for a new grain market, three sets of labour welfare and social security rules, and a compressed biogas project.According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office cited by PTI, Punjab records about 20,000 NDPS cases and 27,000 arrests every year.
Around 12,000 of these cases are tried by Sessions Courts, while about 5,700 cases are disposed of annually.The state had 52,577 pending NDPS cases as of August 31, 2026, and the average time taken to dispose of such cases was about eight years, the statement said. The Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court assessed the need for additional exclusive special NDPS courts to clear the backlog over the next five to seven years.
The Cabinet subsequently approved 35 such courts in the first phase.It also approved 385 posts, including those of 35 Additional District and Sessions Judges, 315 support staff members and 35 Assistant District Attorneys. About Rs 75 crore, including infrastructure costs, has been sanctioned for the initiative.
The existing designated courts will continue to function until the new exclusive special NDPS courts become fully operational. The dedicated courts are intended to speed up the disposal of cases, reduce delays and enable better use of government witnesses, the statement said.In another decision, the Cabinet approved amendments to the service rules governing revenue Patwaris and Kanungos, allowing the restoration of their district-level cadre.The Cabinet also approved the transfer of 217 kanals and 14 marlas of government land at Khandebad village in Lehragaga tehsil of Sangrur district from the Department of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management to the Punjab Mandi Board for setting up a new grain market.The land will be transferred at the collector rate of Rs 15 lakh per acre for a total consideration of Rs 4.08 crore.
The proposed market is expected to provide better marketing infrastructure and greater convenience to farmers and other residents of the region, the statement said.Three sets of rules aimed at strengthening labour welfare and social security measures in Punjab were also approved. These are the Code on Wages (Punjab) Rules, 2026, framed under the Code on Wages, 2019; the Punjab Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026, framed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; and the Punjab Social Security Rules, 2026, framed under the Code on Social Security, 2020.The Cabinet also approved awarding the wet waste-based compressed biogas project for the Mohali cluster to HPCL Renewable and Green Energy Limited on a nomination basis.
The project will be set up at Samgauli village in Dera Bassi under the Municipal Corporation Mohali.The decisions are aimed at reducing the backlog of drug cases, revising the service framework for revenue officials, improving grain market facilities, strengthening labour and social security rules, and developing a compressed biogas project in Punjab.- Ends