New Rules for Rewards to Informers of Narcotics Drugs

The Government of India has issued new reward guidelines called “The guidelines for grant of rewards to be paid to the officers, informers and other persons, 2017” in 2017 to regulate the grant and payment of reward to informers and government officers.

As per this policy, an officer is eligible for Rs. 20,00,000/- reward during his entire career and Rs. 50,000/- at a time. However a maximum reward of Rs. 2,00,000/- may also be given to an individual in exceptional cases by the Apex Central Rewards Committee.

Up to 50% of the total admissible reward amount can be given at pre-trial stage if the test report from chemical lab turns positive.

As per this policy, the reward sanctioning authority should also consider the factors while granting reward to informers, like accuracy of the information, degree of risk involved, extent and nature of the help rendered by the informer and whether the information also gave clues of the person involved in the drug trafficking racket.

Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs has been made the coordinating agency to process the reward proposal of other Central and State agencies working in the field of drug interdiction.

While formulating the Reward Guidelines, 2017, the Government of India has also laid down the following principles:-
· Reward should not be granted as a matter of routine.
· Criteria for grant of reward to informers have been prescribed.
· Provision for special efforts made by the government officials in developing the information, effecting the seizure and post seizure investigation.
· It also excludes any work done by an individual officer in his normal course of duties.

As per the new guidelines, the reward scheme will be made applicable to –
· Informers whose information leads to seizures of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Controlled substances, forfeiture of illegally acquired property under chapter V A of NDPS Act and contravention of rules made there under, which is booked by any Central and State agencies.
· Officers of Central / State / UTs Government empowered under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985 who make seizures, successful investigation/prosecution and conduct post investigation work in respect of contravention of provisions of NDPS Act, 1985.
· Officials of other Central / State / UTs Government who assisted in detecting the contravention of the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, Rules or order made there under.

The new reward guideline has not only included new drugs/ psychotropic substances in the revised reward policy but also increased the rate of reward of the seized drug. The revised reward scheme has increased the quantum of reward as per the following tables (I & II):-

N.B. (i) For the SI No. 13 and 14 the maximum reward will be computed for entire team and not an individual officer.

(ii) Rewards shall be reduced pro-rate if the purity is less than the one prescribed above.

Rates of Reward in respect of controlled /psychotropic substances, etc. seized under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 :