KORAPUT: Going by the increasing number of cases being registered in police stations of Koraput and Malkangiri, the two Southern Odisha districts seems to have turned into a ‘ganja corridor’.
Even as Maoist menace in both the districts has been curbed to some extent, police now faces a new challenge of arresting hemp smuggling.
Ganja is still rampantly cultivated in thousands of acres of Government and forest land in villages of Koraput and Malkangiri that share border with Andhra Pradesh. These villages are under Padwa, Machkund, Chitrakonda and Boipariguda police limits.
Ganja cultivation, police said, is the biggest source of income for Maoists and money generated through it is used in various violent activities. Farmers are also motivated by the mafia who offer quick returns to cultivate ganja. “Most of the farmers are not aware of the legal consequences of cultivating ganja”, said Koraput Excise Superintendent, Devi Prasad Dash.
Ganja mafia from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh provide financial support to locals to grow ganja plants and collect the harvested crops. Different teams are sent to Koraput and Malkangiri to smuggle the contraband to various parts of the country.
A pointer to the rising incidents of inter-State ganja smuggling is the number of NDPS cases that have been registered by police of both the districts. Koraput police launched the Green Clean Operation in 2018 and registered 58 NDPS cases leading to arrest of 146 persons and seizure of 16,592 kg of ganja. Last year, the number went up to 102 cases with arrest of 251 persons and seizure of 16,380 kg ganja.
In Malkangiri, 102 NDPS cases were registered in 2018 and 179 persons arrested with 17,118 kg ganja and last year, the number of cases were 130 and 230 persons were held with 25,895 kg hemp. And according to police, 60 per cent of total accused in ganja smuggling are from other states.
Koraput Excise Superintendent said the department with its limited resources is putting in all efforts to curb hemp cultivation. This includes special drives by multi-disciplinary squad (MDS) comprising revenue, police, forest and excise officials. In the last few weeks, the Excise department conducted special drive in six phases covering 568 acre and destroyed 6.9 lakh plants within Padwa, Machkund and Boipariguda police limits. Price of these plants is estimated at Rs 69 crore.
Maoist-infested areas, however, are a roadblock in Malkangiri as far as destruction of ganja plants is concerned. Excise Superintendent Ashok Kumar Sethy said in collaboration with district police, 66,56,100 hemp plants were destroyed in 4480 acres land in 2019.
“But we are unable to cover the interior pockets apprehending presence of Maoists. We are not equipped enough to conduct raids in Maoist-infested areas”, he said.
Both the Excise Superintendents feel the MDS approach is not enough in rooting out the illegal act. They urged the State Government to facilitate satellite imagery pictures to identify locations of hemp cultivation and develop farm implement for cutting hemp plants over large areas within limited time. The existing machines take too much time.
Besides, farmers should be provided income generating opportunities which shall divert them away from cultivating ganja, they said.