Chatra police on Saturday destroyed illegal poppy cultivation on 15 acre of land in Kunda police station area. The drive was carried out at three villages including Sikidag, Lukuiya and Butkuiya.
SPDO Tandwa and nodal officer of narcotic cell at Chatra, Ashutosh Kumar Satyam said, “This season, from December 15 till date, we have destroyed poppy field on around 80 acres of land in Kunda, Pratappur and Lawalong.”
Also, six FIRs have been lodged in December regarding illegal poppy cultivation and in which five persons have been arrested.
Chatra SP Akhilesh B Verior informed that Western Chatra, especially Kunda, Pratappur and bordering areas of Palamu district are infamous for illegal poppy cultivation.
“We conduct regular drives in these areas every winter season as this is the time when flowers start blooming. The drive continues from December to February,” he said.
The Narcotics cell of the district plays a very important role in gathering intelligence and prosecution. “Last year we destroyed illegal poppy cultivation on 500 acres of land during the winter season, more than 40 FIRs were registered and over 50 arresting made,” Verior said.
Explaining the modus operandi of the smugglers and middlemen Verior said that the middlemen provide seeds to the farmers and offer them a huge amount of money for cultivating it on their land. “As it is easy money, the farmers fall in this trap,” he said.
Verior informed that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 mentions very strict penalty and punishment for poppy cultivation. He said, “The punishment varies depending on the quantity of the poppy, the number of offences committed and other factors.”
In order to curb this problem, apart from conducting drives to destroy the illegal cultivation, the police are also organizing a number of awareness activities. “The officers in charge of various police stations conduct regular meetings with the Mukhiyas and members of panchayat Samiti. Also, they are in regular interaction with the villagers and inform them about the ill effects of poppy cultivation on their health,” Verior said.