Rewards up to Rs 20 lakh to officers involved in drug

Giving a boost to confiscation of narcotics and psychotropic substances in the country, the Centre today announced monetary rewards up to Rs 20 lakh to officers involved in drug interdiction.
In a revised guideline, the home ministry said an officer involved in seizure of drugs was eligible for Rs 20 lakh reward during his entire career and Rs 50,000 at a time. However, a maximum reward of Rs 2 lakh may also be given to an individual, in exceptional cases, by the Apex Central Rewards Committee.
Up to 50 per cent of the total admissible reward amount can be given at pre-trial stage i.e. if the test report from the chemical lab turns positive, it said.

Earlier, the maximum reward in each case was Rs 50,000 for an officer up to the rank of deputy commissioner and not exceeding Rs 25,000 for an officer in the rank of joint or additional commissioner.
According to 'Guidelines for Grant of Rewards to be paid to Officers, Informers and other persons, 2017', the reward sanctioning authority should consider factors like accuracy of the information, degree of risk involved, extent and nature of the help rendered by the informer and whether the information also gave clues of the person involved in the drug trafficking racket.
The Narcotics Control Bureau, under the home ministry, has been made the coordinating agency to process the reward proposal of other central and state agencies, working in the field of drug interdiction.

Certain principles have also been laid down in the matter like the reward should not be granted as a matter of routine. The criteria for grant of reward to informers, provision for special efforts made by government officials in developing the information, effecting the seizure and post-seizure investigation, has also been prescribed.

It also excludes any work done by an officer in his normal course of duty.
As per the new guidelines, the reward scheme will be made applicable to informers whose information leads to seizure of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, controlled substances, forfeiture of illegally acquired property under chapter V A of the NDPS Act and contravention of rules made there under.

Officers of Centre, state governments and Union Territory administration who make such seizures, and conduct successful investigation, prosecution and post-investigation work are entitled for the rewards.
Officials of other central, state governments and UT administrations who assist in the seizure of drugs will also be eligible for the honour.
New drugs and psychotropic substances have also been included in the revised reward policy.