There are 123 Government-approved bhang shops in the State. These bhang shops had obtained licences between the year 2000 and 2014. Excise Minister Damodar Rout informed this in the State Assembly last week. Of these shops, highest 41 shops are in Puri district followed by 28 in Cuttack, 16 in Jagatsinghpur, 14 in Khordha, seven each in Bhadrak and Ganjam, four in Keonjhar and three at Brahmapur and three in Kandhamal district.
A total of 246 persons have been arrested on the charge of illegally carrying or trading various kinds of narcotic drugs, including ganja, poppy capsul, opium, brown sugar, in 2013-14 under the NDPS Act, the Minister informed.