{
  "id": 15450550,
  "title": "Drug-Free Madhya Pradesh By 2029? Anti-Narcotics Task Force Plan Stuck In Approval Maze; 505 Posts Await Clearance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/drug-free-madhya-pradesh-by-2029-anti-narcotics-task-force-plan-stuck",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T16:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/drug-free-madhya-pradesh-by-2029-anti-narcotics-task-force-plan-stuck-in-approval-maze-505-posts-await-clearance"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The establishment of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Madhya Pradesh, aimed at making the state drug-free by 2029, is currently facing a financial delay and bureaucratic hurdles. The budget for the institution remains pending with the state government, while necessary positions for the force are still awaiting approval. In June, a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi proposed the creation of ANTFs across various states to fulfil the Drug-Free India vision. In August, the Narcotics Control Bureau sent the state government a framework outlining the required positions and standards for the ANTF, leading to a proposal for 505 permanent and temporary posts for the force's headquarters and new police stations. The proposal suggests utilizing existing positions from the Narcotics Wing and Hawk Force, which was established to combat the Naxal threat, to reduce the budget. However, the recruitment process for Hawk Force's sanctioned posts is yet to commence. The ANTF will be staffed using these existing positions and establish new narcotics police stations in eight locations, including Bhopal, Mandsaur, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Mandla, Sagar, Rewa, and Ujjain. The formation of ANTF is expected to commence once the proposal is approved by the finance department. The police have expressed their commitment to making Madhya Pradesh drug-free, similar to the Naxal-free policy.",
  "summary": "Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The establishment of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) to make the state drug-free by 2029 is facing a financial crunch as the budget needed for the institution is pending with the state government and the posts needed for the work are still to be approved. During a recent visit by Ministry of Home Affairs officials, the issue was discussed in a meeting and the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}