Chandigarh to become India’s first drug-free city, says Amit Shah

Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Chandigarh would become the first city in the country to be drug-free, urging the police to make the fight against substance abuse a priority.

Addressing the 60th Raising Day celebrations of Chandigarh Police, Shah presented the President’s Colour to the force in recognition of its six decades of service. He praised its approximately 6,000 personnel for their work across the Crime Wing, Operation Cell, Security Wing, Traffic Police and PCR, saying the force had set benchmarks for policing across the country.

Shah said Chandigarh Police had played an important role in safeguarding the city, including during the years of terrorism. He called on the force to protect young people from drug abuse, saying a drug-free younger generation was essential to building a developed India.

Highlighting the implementation of the three new criminal laws, Shah said 8,206 FIRs had been registered in Chandigarh between August 4, 2024, and November 1, 2026. Of these, police had filed online chargesheets in 7,590 cases, which he described as a national record.

He said the force had secured convictions in 85 per cent of cases, with an average punishment timeline of 140 days. Shah said the figures demonstrated how effective implementation of the new criminal laws could speed up the justice process.

The minister also announced that the Centre would provide Chandigarh with 2,152 AI-enabled CCTV cameras to strengthen public safety.

He said 141 new vehicles were being added to the Chandigarh Police fleet to improve patrolling, mobility and emergency response. The force currently ranks second nationally in response time, and Shah said the additional vehicles would help it secure the top position.

He also highlighted the police's citizen-friendly services, noting that residents could access services such as passport verification and police clearance certificates without visiting a police station.

Shah said Chandigarh Police's response time was four minutes, while its Quick Response Team took around 10 minutes to reach an incident.