Bhubaneswar: Director General of Police RP Sharma Sunday said that police personnel have destroyed illicit cultivation of cannabis (ganja) in more areas this year compared to the last two years.
The DGP said during the crop year 2017-18, illicit cultivation of cannabis have been destroyed in more than 4407.73 acres till January 20 last against the target of 3,050 acres.
The police chief said in Angul, illicit cultivation of cannabis was destroyed in 851 acres against the target of 200 acres, in Boudh the crop was destroyed in 789.1 acres against the target of 500 acres, in Kandhamal cannabis was destroyed in 2,227 acres against the target of 1,500 acres, in Gajapati crop was destroyed in 841.63 acres against the target of 400 acres.
Similarly in Rayagada and Malkangiri, cannabis was destroyed in 272 and 199 acres against the target of 200 and 100 acres respectively.
According to Sharma, during 2015-16 and 2016-17 cannabis had been destroyed in 2457.73 acres and 3599.191 acres respectively.
The DGP said direct transfer of fund to district SPs and use of satellite have helped in achieving better results in inaccessible and interior Maoists-affected districts like Kandhamal, Boudh, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Koraput.
He said, there is also a sharp decline in illicit cultivation of cannabis in Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul and Nayagarha due to constant destruction of illicit cultivation by police personnel and massive awareness drive in these regions.
The DGP further said during 2017 as many as 420 NDPS cases have been registered wherein over 476 quintals of narcotics have been seized and 700 persons arrested.
During the period, 1.861 grams of brown sugar and 8,925 bottles of cough syrup have been seized and more than 60 accused have been arrested. Sharma told the media that the reward money too has been increased to encourage the officers, informers and other persons in curbing illicit trading and cultivation of cannabis and other narcotics.
UNI
