Now Reading: Odisha intensifies crackdown on illegal cannabis cultivation on government land
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Odisha intensifies crackdown on illegal cannabis cultivation on government land
Odisha intensifies crackdown on illegal cannabis cultivation on government land
The Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Department has directed six district Collectors to step up vigilance against illegal cannabis cultivation on government land. Additional Chief Secretary Aravind Padhee wrote to the Collectors…
The Story in Brief
The Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Department has directed six district Collectors to step up vigilance against illegal cannabis cultivation on government land. Additional Chief Secretary Aravind Padhee wrote to the Collectors of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati, ordering field officials to monitor vulnerable plots and prevent repeat cultivation.
During the 2025-26 crop season, Odisha Police destroyed illegal cannabis across 36,508.792 acres on 1,631 GPS-mapped plots, of which 6,632.197 acres were government land. Officials have been given GPS coordinates of these locations and instructed to coordinate with police, STF or ANTF under the NDPS Act if illegal cultivation recurs. Padhee warned of strict action against any revenue official found assisting cannabis mafias.
The Indian Opinion
The government's GPS-mapped crackdown on ganja cultivation is a welcome step, but it faces a familiar test. Remote, inaccessible terrain and the involvement of local mafia have historically defeated such drives. The real measure will come when the 2026-27 crop season ends: will the area under illegal cultivation shrink, or will the same plots once again yield cannabis? A simple acreage comparison next March will settle whether this is genuine deterrence or just another circular.
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
