(a) whether America has included India in the list of countries producing and smuggling narcotics;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has lodged its protest to America in this regard;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the outcome thereof?
THE MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)
(a) Yes.
(b) US domestic law requires the US President to identify countries as ‘major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries’, referred to as the ‘Majors List’. US President is also required to, under section 706(2) (A) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, identify any country on the ‘Majors List’ that “failed demonstrably†during the previous twelve months to adhere to international counter-narcotics agreements or to take counter-narcotics measures set forth in US law. While India has been included in the ‘Majors List’, there is no year in which India was listed as a country that has ‘failed demonstrably’.
(c)-(d) The Government of India has taken up the matter with the US Government.
(e) US Government has indicated that India’s inclusion on the ‘Majors List’ is primarily because of the large-scale diversion from licit opium production into the illicit market. US has requested information over a period of time that diversion from licit production has been reduced to a modest problem.