EAGLE to focus on ganja cultivation in ASR district

Vijayawada: Inspector general of police (IG) Ake Ravi Krishna, who is the head of the newly-constituted Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) force, said EAGLE would focus on Alluri Sitarama Raju district to check the ganja production and supply in the state. He said the police department has identified that ganja cultivation is in only nine mandals in the ASR district and awareness will be created among villagers to check the menace.

Speaking to media at the state police headquarters in Mangalagiri on Friday, Ravi Krishna said the EAGLE was formed with objective of preventing narcotics and ganja abuse in the state. Over 70 lakh students are in the state and their future is important for the government as well as the state. He said no student in the state should suffer due to ganja or drug abuse.

The IG said people from other places are inducing the tribal population in the ASR district to cultivate ganja and it will be prevented with the formation of EAGLE. The force has 459 staff, including officers, and main office will be located in Amaravati. The police department has information that people from other states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu coming to agency areas and luring the tribals to cultivate ganja.

He said the EAGLE will exchange information with the police of other states and work towards eradicating ganja menace.

He said around 2,900 villages are in ASR district and ganja production is in nearly 300 villages. Awareness will be created on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and harsh punishment will be given to ganja peddlers and consumers. He said ganja consumption is also an offence.

Ravi Krishna said the EAGLE teams will work in co-ordination with departments like customs to check narcotics menace.

He said he had attended a meeting of South India DGPs held in Chennai last month and discussion took place on narcotics in southern states, particularly in Andhra Pradesh. He said people in other states in India had an impression that ganja is cultivated across Andhra Pradesh and will be supplied to all over India. He said the prime task of EAGLE is identifying the source of ganja production, transportation, destination and demand.

Replying to a question, he said checking of vehicles will be increased and culprits will not be spared. He said stringent provisions of NDPS will be explained to the students across the state.

The IG said ASR district was formed in the name of well known freedom fighter but ganja cultivators are tarnishing its image. He said the glory of agency areas of the district will be restored.

Superintendent of police K Nagesh Babu was also present in the media

conference.