Government to crack whip

Visakhapatnam: With an aim to completely eradicate ganja menace in the Agency area of Visakhapatnamdistrict, the state government has been preparing ground to crack the whip on contraband cultivators and smugglers, said HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

After conducting a review meeting with the revenue, police and excise department authorities at the Collectorate here on Saturday, the Minister said the state government has decided to chalk out a strategy to get rid of ganja based on the reports claiming Vizag Agency has been turning as a hub of ganja cultivation and supply.

Highlights:

• Minister says the government has decided to chalk out a strategy to eradicate ganja cultivation and supply in Vizag Agency
• Drones will be used to know about the amount of ganja cultivation being carried out
• The Minister claims that no person, who has connection with ganja smuggling, will be spared
• Plans are afoot to rope in ex-defence personnel and make use of their services for this operation

“As a part of pilot programme, 10 villages in the Agency area would be identified to carry out the operation. For this, Task Force teams comprising revenue, police and excise and forest department personnel would be formed,” said the Minister addressing the media.

It was said that ganja cultivation was being taken up in nearly 150 villages of the Agency area. According to the Minister, the three-year term plan is to make Agency area ganja-free and to catch the kingpins of illegal ganja trade, including mediators, financers and dealers.

“We understand that tribals are being lured for small amount of money by the traders to grow ganja. So, the tribals will be convinced to grow coffee or take up alternative livelihood options,” he said and added that this is the right time to start operation as the growers sow ganja in the area during this season.

As part of this operation, all the check posts would be modernised besides the Task Force teams would be equipped with new technologies, he informed.

Pointing out that many of these Agency villages were Maoist-affected and access for teams to these regions would be tough, he said and drones will also be used to know about the amount of ganja cultivation being carried out.

He noted many of the practical problems would come to fore during the pilot porgramme implementation. The Minister claimed that no person, who has connection with ganja smuggling, would be spared by the government. The matter will be discussed further in a Cabinet meeting on September 9.

According to him, there are plans to rope in ex-defence personnel and make use of their services for this operation. District Collector Pravin Kumar and other higher-ups of several departments were present.