VISAKHAPATNAM: With the illicit ganja trade thriving in Visakhapatnam Agency despite a slew of enforcement measures in place including the massive crackdown on the hemp farms, the authorities have roped in folk artistes to spread the message of the ill-effect of the illegal trade through street plays.
As part of the initiative, the officials have prepared a month-long schedule for organising plays across the Agency including the interior tribal hamlets and the programme was launched on November 27.
“Most of the tribal population do not even know that smuggling ganja is a serious offence and fall prey to the lure of easy money,” says prohibition and excise superintendent V Sudheer.After many brainstorming sessions to chalk out credible measures to nip the ganja trade in the bud, the excise officials have zeroed in on the street plays by forming ‘Kalajathas’ as the effective way to reach out the tribal people and create awareness against the ganja trade, he says.
The cultivation of weed is reportedly thriving in around 154 hamlets in eight mandals of Visakhapatnam Agency and parts of East Godavari district. The excise officials have selected several mandals in Visakhapatnam Agency —Peda Bayalu, G Madugula, Munchingputtu, GK Veedhi and Chintapalle where ganja farming is rampant— where the street plays are being organised.“We have formed five teams of artistes and they have been assigned with the mandals. Each team will organise two plays in two villages on a daily basis. The Excise Department has prepared a detailed schedule for the stageplays to be held from Novr 27 to Dec 26. In total, 300 street plays will be organised,”says V Sudheer.
The excise officials feel that many tribals, being illiterate, do not even know the consequences of resorting to ganja smuggling and they only look at it as a lucrative business. “The street plays will focus on how ganja smuggling is a crime, in what ways it could affect the people. The plays also explain the alternate livelihood options and the support being extended by the government.”