Ganja plantation worth Rs53 crore in various villages of Malkangiri district was destroyed on Friday, police sources said. As many as 4, 51,200 hemp plants were destroyed in a joint operation by the police and the excise personnel at several villages under the Chitrakonda police station.It was informed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sambit Sampad and Malkangiri Excise SP Ramesh Chandra Behera at a joint press conference here.
The villages where illegal ganja cultivation, suspected to have been backed by Maoist ultras, were found were Badapadar, Sariapali, Kadarguma, Phulpadar, Bailiguma, Dabuguda, Rathaguda and Khalapadar. “The illegal ganja cultivation was being carried out in over 65 acre of land at Chitrakonda police station area. We suspect that the illegal ganja cultivation get encouragement from the Maoists,” said Sampad to reporters.