TN Sanctions Rs 264 Crore for Anti-Narcotics Stations, Assigns Two Units to Tambaram

The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned over Rs 264 crore to establish 65 dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) police stations across the state, including two specialized units allocated to the Tambaram Police Commissionerate. According to an official government order dated August 8, the state has accorded administrative and financial sanction of Rs 264.14 crore for the initiative aimed at tackling drug-related crimes.

Out of the 65 ANTF police stations, 37 units will cover individual districts, while 28 units will be distributed across nine city commissionerates. Chennai will receive the highest allocation with 12 units, while Tambaram, Avadi, Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, and Tirunelveli will each get two units.

To staff these stations effectively, the state government approved the creation of a dedicated field workforce comprising 65 Police Inspectors, 260 Sub-Inspectors, and 1,300 Police Personnel. Each field unit will standardly be staffed by one Inspector, four Sub-Inspectors, and 20 Police Personnel. The government order strictly stipulates that officers and personnel assigned to these stations cannot be deployed for any other police duties.

The state-wide ANTF apparatus will operate under the direct control of the Chief Minister and will be led by an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). An ANTF Headquarters unit is being established with 454 sanctioned posts and 10 specialized internal units to handle intelligence, field operations, and inter-agency coordination.

These specialized headquarters divisions include the ANTF Operations Unit, Cyber Lab, Crime Records Bureau, Field Intelligence Units, Special Operation & Investigation Unit, Control Room, Training & Capacity Building Unit, Administration & Motor Transport Unit, IT Support Unit, and a Legal Unit headed by a Legal Advisor. The Cyber Lab will hire two experts on a contract basis at a monthly salary of Rs 1,00,000 each.

The newly established stations are mandated to collect intelligence on narcotics movement, conduct cyber-surveillance, and register and investigate drug offenses. A major focus of the task force will be conducting financial investigations to track, seize, and freeze movable and immovable assets belonging to drug offenders and their relatives. To ensure operational mobility, the financial sanction covers the procurement of 67 four-wheelers and 325 two-wheelers.

The overall expenditure includes a recurring cost of Rs 245.99 crore and a non-recurring cost of Rs 18.15 crore. The state's strategy integrates law enforcement with demand-reduction and rehabilitation efforts led by the Health and Family Welfare Department, alongside educational, youth, sports, and local bodies to achieve a drug-free state.