The Prohibition and Excise (Enforcement) Department would form a State-level special task force team to deal exclusively with ganja and other types of drug cases. The special team, which would also include policemen, will be an armed one, Director of Excise and Prohibition (Enforcement) K. Venkateswara Rao told the media here on Sunday.
The State Cabinet took a decision on July 18 to constitute a special team in the wake of the rise in ganja smuggling in the State and drug cases in Telangana. The task force team would be on the lines of the one formed to deal with red sanders. “Discussions are going on regarding the strength of the team, infrastructure, logistics, technology and the required permissions,” Mr. Venkateswara Rao said.
Once these were decided, the final draft would be placed before the State Cabinet for its approval, on August 3 in Vijayawada. The team would also enforce cases of ghutka. Various government departments like ITDA, Revenue, Forest Women & Child Welfare and even GCC would be roped in,” the Director said. The ganja cultivation season was about to start in the Agency areas. The department was already on the alert. When asked about the involvement of a number of officials in ganja smuggling cases, Mr. Venkateswara Rao said that apart from two officers from Visakhapatnam region, three to four more officers in other parts of the State were on the radar of the department, and action would be taken on them. He said that a toll free No. 18004254868 was arranged to deal with ganja, drugs and other sedative cases. Public, who notice such cases could inform the concerned through the number.
