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Raids on to end ganja cultivation

BERHAMPUR: Excise and police officials have launched raids in the remote areas of Kandhamal district to stop ganja plantations being taken up along with agriculture by tribals.

On Friday, a joint raid by police and excise departments at a danderi hamlet near Gandagaon village under Tikabali police station found ganja cultivation that had been taken up along with plantation of corn. Three persons along with the farm owner, Lambodar Kanhar, were arrested.

Kandhamal district excise Superintendent Laxmikant Behera said the seized ganja plants were not fully grown yet.

According to him, financers from outside Kandhamal district and even outside the State reach remote areas and persuade tribals to take up ganja cultivation during the months of July and August. They lure tribals into the clandestine cultivation luring with advance payments.

The ganja plants become mature in November reaching to a height of around ten feet, which is also the harvest time.

During November last, ganja plantation was unearthed in remote areas of Baliguda and Phiringia blocks of Kandhamal district.

According to the Excise Superintendent, over 3,21,000 ganja plants were destroyed.

This year the excise and police officials want to keep track and destroy ganja plantations before the plants are grown to dissuade tribals from the illegal cultivation, Mr Behera said.

Political leaders like Kandhamal district Congress president allege that ganja cultivation is continuing in large areas in remote tribal pockets hints at the fact that development programmes have failed to reach tribals.

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