West Bengal Cabinet approves dedicated Anti-Terrorist Squad and anti-narcotics task force

MP, August 20, 2026, Kolkata : The state Cabinet on Wednesday approved a slew of measures to strengthen the law-and-order machinery, including the creation of a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), four specialised anti-narcotics police stations and hundreds of new posts across security and legal departments.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), West Bengal, to bolster the state’s internal security and counter-terrorism capabilities. The proposal provides for 461 regular posts in the ATS, along with five contractual posts for software developers.

The new ANTF will function under the Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police, with a mandate to crack down on drug trafficking across the state.

Four dedicated anti-narcotics police stations will be set up in Durgapur, Malda, Kharagpur and Nadia to strengthen enforcement at the district level. A total of 591 posts have been sanctioned for the task force and the four police stations.

Women’s safety also featured prominently in the Cabinet’s decisions. The government approved the creation of 68 posts across various categories in the West Bengal State Commission on Atrocities Against Women, aimed at speeding up the handling of complaints related to violence and harassment against women.

The Cabinet further cleared the appointment of six law officers under the West Bengal Legal Service Cadre. They will be deployed across various state government establishments to strengthen legal and administrative work.

Two additional law officer posts — one each for the Asansol and Durgapur municipal corporations — were also approved.

Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has asked the legislators to organise conventions and similar activities with the beneficiaries of Annapurna Yojana for wide publicity. He directed them to monitor applications being submitted through the government portal, alongside the government’s own scrutiny of the applications, so that eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of the scheme.

In the backdrop of a flood-like situation in several parts of South Bengal, Adhikari has directed MLAs from flood-affected areas to remain in their constituencies and oversee relief and rescue operations. They have also been asked to visit local areas personally and coordinate with the administration from the respective BDO offices.

The Cabinet has also approved the proposal for an amendment to the existing “Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy, 2019”, allowing tea gardens to utilise 15 per cent of the total grant area, subject to a maximum of 150 acres for tea tourism and allied business activities.