Campaign for destruction of opium, poppy & cannabis to be launched in HP

A comprehensive campaign for destruction of poppy, opium and cannabis crops would be launched in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, Manali, Mandi and Shimla by the end of this month, a senior official said.

A campaign against cultivation of poppy, opium and cannabis (charas) was launched in these districts on April 15 and the crops has started sprouting and the second phase of the campaign would focus on destruction in the remote areas where cultivation could not be stopped or checked.

Himachal Pradesh has turned into a major attraction for foreign tourists butsadly, the tourist influx reveals a deadly narcotic nexus andincreasing number of locals are falling prey of drug business and addiction and the campaign is being launched to eradicate this menace, Director General of Police (DGP) Sitaram Mardi said.

The narcotics trade is assuming a horrific shape in Kullu where a large numbers of tourists, mostly Israelis, pour in every year which has inspired the local farmers to clandestinely cultivate illegal poppy or cannabis crops to earn quick bucks," he added.

The number of cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS)Act in Himachal Pradesh has more than tripled in the last decade, the DGP said.

Giving details about the action plan, Mardi informed that all the revenue officials, forest officials and elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Bodies and the Urban Local Bodies are duty-bound under Section 47 of ND and PS Act, 1985 to inform police about the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium-poppy in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

They will give the information in writing to the concerned station house officer and also to superintendent of police, while the forest officials would patrol in their respective jurisdiction and report the illegal cultivation in their beat to the police.

Once illegal cultivation is detected, a joint campaign will be launched to destroy such cultivation by involving all stakeholders, enforcement agencies such as police, NCB, SNCB, CID and departments of Forests, Revenue, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.

These agencies will submit a progress report on poppy, opium and cannabis destruction before August 15, 2018 and all the SPs will associate Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals and other NGOs while conducting the destruction of opium poppy and cannabis crops.

The Agriculture and Horticulture departments in coordination with the Rural Development department jointly will submit a proposal to adopt alternative cash crops suitable for areas cultivating opium poppy and cannabis illegally.