The district administration is gearing up to tackle ganja smuggling in the Agency. The authorities are preparing an action plan to destroy ganja plantations in the Agency areas.
The decision was taken in the recently held ganja crop destruction coordination meeting at the Collectorate a few days ago.
District Collector A. Mallikarjuna told the officials that the State government is focussed on curbing ganja smuggling. He said that there was a need to stop growing ganja cultivation in the Agency and motivate farmers to take up alternative crops. He stressed on the need for Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), Police, Forest Department, Revenue, Sachivalayam staff and Sarpanches to coordinate and work towards destroying ganja plantations. He instructed the enforcement agencies to take strict action against the accused involved in ganja smuggling.
SEB DIG Rama Krishna said that wherever ganja is caught in the country, news reports say that the ganja is smuggled from Visakhapatnam Agency. He said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is very serious on the issue. Officials should identify the places where the ganja is being cultivated and the plantations should be destroyed immediately, he said.
“Ganja plantations are estimated to be cultivated over a spread of 10,000 acres in the interior Agency areas. Between October and December, the crop is ready for harvest. Teams should prepare an action plan and conduct raids to destroy the plantations,” he said.
Mr. Rama Krishna expressed concern that cases of smuggling of liquid ganja or hash oil are being reported from the Agency. Awareness camps should be increased by distributing pamphlets and making videos informing the consequences of being involved in ganja smuggling, he said.
The DIG said that a special nodal officer should be appointed to take up these works and additional check-posts should be created to detect cases in the Agency.
Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer R. Gopala Krishna, officials from the Forest, Revenue and other departments were present.
