NEW DELHI, June 26 -- The Centre is moving to place the painkiller Tapentadol under stricter narcotics control, a step that would bring its manufacture, sale and distribution under the country's toughest drug law amid rising concerns over abuse and diversion.

The finance ministry has begun the process to classify Tapentadol as a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

The department of revenue has also sought feedback from pharmaceutical and chemical industry bodies, including the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA), Pharmexcil, the Indian Chemical Council and Chemexcil, as part of the consultation proce...