VISAKHAPATNAM: As part of the Parivartana initiative to curb ganja cultivation in the Vizag Agency areas, Visakhapatnam DIG LKV Ranga Rao on Wednesday administered a pledge to about 100 sarpanches in Narsipatnam sub-division to eradicate ganja cultivation in their villages.
Speaking at a programme organised as a part of Parivartana, the DIG said that the sarpanches should show the way to villagers to shun ganja cultivation.
Owing to the illicit transport of ganja, the image of Narsipatnam has eroded. Narsipatnam has got a bad reputation due to the ganja being smuggled from there to cities across the country. Instead of ganja, tribals should raise medicinal plants, he advised.
The DIG explained the consequences of ganja cultivation and the bad image it is bringing to the district, particularly the Agency. He exhorted the sarpanches to take the responsibility to create awareness among the tribals to shun the cultivation of ganja in the Agency areas. The SEB and the revenue department were taking steps to eradicate ganja cultivation in the Agency.
The sarpanches said that they will ensure that ganja is not cultivated in their village limits and that they will advise the youth to stay away from peddling and transporting the ganja. The DIG appreciated the villages which came forward voluntarily to destroy the ganja crops and assured all support to the villagers. SP B Krishna Rao, ASP Narsipatnam V Manikanta were present.
Ganja crops destroyed
Ganja crops in 145 acres were destroyed in G Madugula and GK Veedhi mandals in the district on Wednesday. Ganja crops in 45 acres in Boyitili village and 40 acres at Rasaveedhi in G Madugula mandal were destroyed. In Rompula village in GK Veedhi mandal, ganja crops in 60 acres were destroyed.
As many as 10 teams comprising 400 policemen and SEB personnel along with other officials destroyed ganja crops in 425 acres in G Madugula and GK veedhi mandals in Visakhapatnam district and Motugudem Mandal in East Godavari district. Police said tribal farmers were promised to give seeds of alternative crops.
The East Godavari police destroyed ganja crop at Odia camp in Chintur mandal Wednesday. DSP M Ravindranadh Babu and SEB additional SP Ramadevi and other police officials were present. Speaking on the occasion, Ravindranadh Babu said that the crop was cultivated by natives of Odisha.
The Odia camp residents are not aware of the ganja smuggling. If any local mediator called them, they would cultivate the crop or join cutting works on a daily wage basis. The Odia camp is one of the hamlets of Mothugudem panchayat. The area has 55 families and they migrate between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.