Bhubaneswar, Nov 18: Aiming to wipe out the ganja cultivation in the Laxmanpur area, the Malkangiri police destroyed all the hemp plants which were worth Rs one crore in the area in Malkangiri.
This happened on Thursday night. It’s stated that the cops set the plants on fire. During the course of action, the special police team was guided by excise department officials. Other prime districts where this cultivation happened are Angul, Boudh, Gajapati, Malkanagiri, Deogarh and Rayagada. It was found that the hemp were being cultivated in areas which were dominated by the left wing extremists. Hemp plantations were noticed in sprawling areas of remote forested regions of Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkanagiri and Angul, which were a hiding hub for the naxalites stay. According to security experts it is stated that this cultivation o hemp is a type of ‘money-making firm for Maoists’.
In the early days, farmers used to grow hemp in the backyards. But ever since the police personnel and the excise officials have conducted raids, they began cultivation in such forest areas which are beyond the reach and so the police and excise authorities have difficulty in attributing cultivation to particular miscreants.
