PHULBANI: Joint squads of police, excise and revenue personnel destroyed hemp plants worth around Rs 3.55 crore in Phringia and Gochapada areas of Kandhamal district in the last three days.
A squad, led by Phringia IIC P Shyamsundar Rao and Excise Inspector Suresh Chandra Tandi, destroyed ganja plantation on 250 acre of land in Dimiriguda, Bagali and Kekringia areas on Thursday and Friday.
Similarly, a squad, led by Gochapada OIC Trupti Ranjan Nayak and Excise Inspector Prabin Nayak, destroyed ganja crops on around 130 acre of land in Suberpanga, Kangapada and Katapadi on Saturday.
Two platoons of police force accompanied the squads during the drive as the areas where ganja was being cultivated are situated in dense forest and frequented by Maoists. Sources said taking advantage of the inaccessibility of the areas, ganja cultivators carry out their business with help of Maoists.
OIC Nayak said as many as 200 labourers were engaged in the drive. No one has been arrested.