Sri Ganganagar: Pregabalin and Tapentadol salts, which are being misused as drugs in Sriganganagar, Anupgarh and Hanumangarh districts, are going to be included in the NDPS Act.
The Rajasthan government has written a letter to the Central Government to stop their misuse. The central government is doing a state-wise analysis of the production and consumption of these two salts.
The opinion of a committee of doctors is also being taken in this regard. Soon these two salts can be included in the NDPS Act. In this regard, Sriganganagar SP Gaurav Yadav had written a letter to the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Control Department in Jaipur in the month of July.
It was told that Pregabalin and Tapentadol salt are being misused a lot as drugs in Sri Ganganagar and adjoining Hanumangarh and Anupgarh districts. Because this salt is not included in the NDPS Act and is not in the category of psychotropic substances. Due to this, no doctor’s prescription is required to sell and buy this salt. Due to this, now drug addicts are being caught consuming and trading this salt in large quantities in all three districts. Therefore, it was said that steps need to be taken after taking advice from the committee of experts to include these salts in the NDPS Act. To stop the misuse of Pregabalin and Tapentadol salt, the then SP of Sri Ganganagar Paris Deshmukh wrote the first letter on 14 July 2023.
In this letter, the Commissioner of the Safety and Drug Control Department was requested to include these salts in the NDPS Act to prevent the misuse of these salts. At that time, due to the imposition of code of conduct and assembly elections, the then government could not work in this direction.
Capsules sold in the name of Blue Ford, John Deere, Green Parrot: Different companies are selling capsules of Pregabalin salt in the market in different colored packaging. Among these, capsules of blue color packing are being sold in the name of Ford tractor as Blue Ford, green color packing as John Deere, red color packing as Eicher and parrot colored packing as Green Parrot in medical stores and grocery shops of drug addicts. Now these capsules are being sold even at tea stalls.
Ban on sale with magistrate power, less punishment, hence no fear: The then SP Vikas Sharma and the current SP Gaurav Yadav had written a letter to the District Collector to stop the misuse of Pregabalin salt and requested to ban it. On this, the District Magistrate banned the sale of the said salt without a doctor’s prescription for every three months from 9 July 2023. But due to the punishment being only 6 months and no arrest, the smugglers are not afraid of it. Both these salts are being smuggled on a large scale. 3,67,609 capsules and tablets seized in the district in four years: The district police seized 162368 capsules and tablets in the year 2021 which were banned. 23,358 capsules and tablets were seized in the year 2022.
82,579 capsules were seized in the year 2023. In the year 2024, only 99,304 capsules were recovered till May. During the period of three and a half years, 3,67,609 capsules and tablets have been seized and the accused have been arrested. But effective control will happen only after amendments are made in the NDPS Act.
We had written a letter to the state government to include Pregabalin and other ingredients sold with it which are being misused as drugs in the NDPS Act. On this, CM sir sent a recommendation to the central government. A decision is expected soon.
