Maharashtra Cabinet approves policy to make the state ‘drug free’ by 2029.

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) approved a “whole-of-government approach” policy to eradicate narcotic drugs from the state by 2029 as part of the “Drug-Free India Campaign”.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was to focus on public awareness and strict action against narcotics. Under this policy, responsibilities will be assigned from the village level to the district, divisional and Mantralaya levels for the implementation of the initiatives.

According to the plan, at least one lesson on drug awareness will be introduced in the school curriculum from Class V starting next academic year (2027). Schools will also receive additional marks for implementing drug awareness initiatives under the Chief Minister’s My School, Beautiful School – Phase 3 programme.

According to the CMO, a massive public awareness campaign will also be carried out. All government departments will have to coordinate with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) to implement the campaign. At the Mantralaya level, each department appoints an officer of the rank of Deputy Secretary as the Nodal Officer to coordinate the campaign.

The Department of Higher and Technical Education will announce the award for the best district in achieving drug-free status on June 26 of each year. Performance for the award will be evaluated for the period from October 2 to April 30.

The policy identifies four pillars of the fight against narcotic drugs: effective enforcement of anti-drug measures, drastic reduction of the supply of narcotic drugs, effective reduction of the demand for narcotic drugs, and elimination of addiction, treatment and rehabilitation. The Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Forests will be responsible for curbing the supply of narcotics.

Illegally manufactured synthetic narcotics will need to be handled by the Food and Drug Administration and Industries.

The policy makes it possible to intervene against the cultivation and management of crops used for the illegal production of narcotics, as well as the production, transport, sale and consumption of natural and synthetic narcotics.

Published – 02 Sep 2026 02:00 IST