Central team of narcotics control bureau recently sat with the police officials of Palamu and drew strategy to combat and contain the cultivation of poppy in Palamu and its subsequent smuggling of it in as far a place as in Rajasthan.
On Saturday two officials of the central narcotics control bureau and police and CRPF led by DSP Prabhat Ranjan Barwar damaged poppy cultivation in more than 3 acres of land under Panki police station. Sources said G company of CRPF deployed at Taal area under Panki police station accompanied palamu police and NCB central team in this uprooting drive of the poppy cultivation .
Sources said poppy cultivation in Porsham and Janjoh areas were destroyed. These areas are quite interior and near natural water resources. Hills and hillocks provide the safe back drop.
Confirming the destruction of the poppy cultivation DSP PR Barwar said the cultivation was not put afire. The cultivation was destroyed with the help of running tractor on them. He said fire and smoke cause lots of allied problems and so the poppy cultivation was destroyed by tractor.
A large chunk of the poppy cultivation was found on van bhumi while some was on private land of the land owners.
There would be criminal case against the growers whose lands have been identified to have this poppy cultivation.
Barwar said the lands so far identified by the halka revenue official appear to be of the Kharwars the tribals.
This is very sad and distressing since these Kharwars are just simpletons to be entrapped by the Maoists or the splinter group of extremists who lend their land for such illicit and unlawful cultivation.
Barwar reminded that central team of NCB ( narcotics control bureau) had held discussions with us only a few days back in which it was thrashed to contain and curb this cultivation by all means.
This Saturday onslaught on poppy was the resultant of the same meeting held with central team of NCB.
On being asked that Kharwars are being dragged or drawn into this illegal cultivation Barwar said ' This is really a matter of deep concern as these Kharwars are only to lose every thing and nothing to gain since the Maoists or the naxals of the splinter groups just eat into the earnings coming from this kind of unlawful cultivation.
He said the Kharwars will now have to fight it out in the law court.
Sources said it is very strange that forest department hardly does any thing to curb or contain poppy cultivation on its own and it is always police and CRPF that go about this in the toughest of the manner.