Smt Sharada Raut IPS (Maharashtra 2005), presently Joint Commissioner, State Intelligence Department (SID), Maharashtra, is transferred and appointed as Special IG – Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Maharashtra.
She will be leading the new and more robust dedicated ANTF. According to figures published by narcoticsindia.nic.in in their 2024 report on drug seizures by all Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs), the state reported a total of 7,536 seizure cases and arrested 8,009 individuals.
The Maharashtra state cabinet approved the establishment of a state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on February 18, 2025. This decision, initially tabled in 2023, was enabled by the allocation of approximately ₹23 crore and the sanctioning of 346 additional posts for immediate implementation. As per the approved terms, the ANTF will be headed by an Inspector General of Police and will include a hierarchical structure comprising of one (01) Deputy Inspector General of Police, three (03) Superintendents of Police, three (03) Additional Superintendents of Police, ten (10) Deputy Superintendents of Police, along with police inspectors, sub-inspectors, and other personnel. This dedicated unit aims to address the increasing incidence of narcotics-related offenses and the accessibility of drugs, particularly to students, and a better coordination with central agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau.
IndianBureaucracy.com wishes Smt Sharada Raut the very best.