Despite the Punjab government’s high-profile anti-drug campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh, the state health department has not issued a single licence for a new private de-addiction centre or clinic since 2022.
However, he did not explain the reason behind the freeze or clarify whether the government plans to reopen the licensing process. The suspension has simultaneously increased pressure on the existing government-run treatment network and raised concerns about the proliferation of illegal and unauthorised de-addiction centres. The suspended rules include a proposal restricting any single entity to a maximum of five centres, which would have broken up the current cartel-like ownership. Both Dr Rohini Goyal, deputy director of the mental health cell, and Dr Sandeep Bhola, the nodal officer for the state’s drug de-addiction programme, failed to respond to repeated requests for comment.
The policy has also consolidated market power: Nearly 100 of Punjab’s 177 private de-addiction centres are now controlled by a network of just 10 to 12 operators, creating a virtual monopoly in the sector.
State health minister Dr Balbir Singh said no fresh permissions have been granted to private individuals during this period. Notified on December 12, 2025, several key rules were placed in abeyance on December 24 pending “a government review of the provisions”, without clarifying what prompted the review. “The matter is pending before the court, and the government cannot act until legal proceedings are resolved,” he said, adding: “Private psychiatrists are welcome to join government de-addiction centres, where we currently face a shortage.”
