New Delhi, March 12 -- New Delhi: The government may make it mandatory for packages containing narcotics to carry a barcode while it mulls building a portal to identify, track and monitor the illegal sale of narcotics.

In view to recent cases of abuse of narcotics meant for medicinal use, the government is devising a mechanism to ensure the tracking and traceability of these drugs.

A QR code will allow the government to identify the manufacturer of these drugs, said two officials familiar aware of the matter.

The government is also exploring ways to track inter-state movement of these drugs, and identify the sellers and distributors.

Abuse control

This comes against the backdrop of the home ministry writing to the health ministry las...