3,000 new posts in NCB on cards

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 31

At a time when the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been hogging the limelight following the cruise raid and arrest and bail of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to the Ministry of Finance, seeking sanction for creating 3,000 more posts in the agency. Sources said there had been a manpower shortage in the NCB and it had to depend on other agencies and the state police. “Due to this, the quality of investigation suffers as not all officials are trained to probe drug-related cases,” a source maintained.

The NCB, at present, has 1,100 personnel across the country. The sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wanted to provide logistical and manpower support in setting up new offices across the country.

There was also a move on part of the MHA to take control over the NDPS Act, as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) came under the Ministry of Finance, they added. — TNS