Senior IPS Officer Who Headed Punjab's Anti-Drug STF Awaits Posting for 5 Months
In Chandigarh, amid the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government's ongoing war against drugs, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, instrumental in shaping the state's anti-drug strategies, has been awaiting a posting for nearly five months. Harpreet Singh Sidhu, a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, was repatriated to his parent cadre in September last year from a central deputation with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), where he served as additional director general (ADG).
Key Role in Anti-Drug Initiatives
Appointed by then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in 2017, Sidhu headed the first anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) in Punjab. He was specifically brought in on premature repatriation from his central deputation with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which was originally set to end in June 2018. Alongside US-based drug therapist Dr. Kanwar Ajit Singh Sidhu, he introduced the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics, providing free, outpatient-based treatment. This therapy marked a significant shift from a sole "abstinence" approach to a substitution strategy, using alternate medicine to wean addicts off substances like heroin, and remains a cornerstone of Punjab's drug treatment efforts today.
Comprehensive Strategies and Community Programs
As STF chief, Sidhu developed the Comprehensive Action Against Drug Abuse (CADA) strategy, focusing on a three-pronged approach of enforcement, de-addiction, and prevention (EDP). He also launched community initiatives such as drug abuse prevention officers (DAPOs) and the 'buddy' programme in educational institutes, leveraging peer pressure to prevent drug abuse among youth. Despite his contributions, Sidhu was removed as STF chief in 2018 and posted as special principal secretary to the chief minister amid differences with then DGP Suresh Arora. He returned as STF chief in July 2019 and later served as ADGP (Prisons) before his central deputation with ITBP in 2022.
Repatriation and Posting Delays
Sidhu's central deputation was scheduled to end in October 2026, but he was prematurely repatriated to Punjab in September last year at his own request. This move coincided with the appointment of Praveen Kumar, a 1993-batch IPS officer from the West Bengal cadre and junior to Sidhu, as Director General of ITBP. This is not an isolated case in Punjab; other IPS officers have faced similar delays. For instance, 1997-batch IPS officer ADGP Naunihal Singh remained without a posting for about 10 months before being assigned a role in September 2024, and Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, a 2004-batch IPS officer, waited nearly two months before being posted as IG (Provisioning) in August 2024.
The situation highlights ongoing administrative challenges in the state, even as the government continues its fight against drug abuse, a critical issue in Punjab.
