Meeting with GPs and block level officers of Land & Land Reforms, Police, Excise, Agriculture, Forests and BDOs/ SDOs to achieve ZERO CULTIVATION of poppy in Burdwan

State Govt has given emphasis on elimination of illegal poppy cultivation in the State and accordingly directed all Districts to take preventive, advocative and punitive measures against cultivation of Poppy. In the year 2010, district authority with the help of excise, police and narcotics destroyed 3.89 crores Poppy plants spread in an area of 1010 acres. Poppy was widely grown in Ketugram, Katwa Purbashthali, Mangalkote, Kalna, Jamalpur, Ausgram, Bud Bud, Galsi, Kanksa and Loudaha PS areas in that year. After the massive destructions in the year 2010 and pre crop season awareness strategy in 2011, the crop acreage reduced to only 2.7 acres in Purbashthali PS area only. Police inititated 11 cases under NDPS Act and chargesheets filed.

GPs were directed to get resolution passed in their general meeting that GP is against the poppy cultivation and any body doing the cultivation shall not get any support from them. All Govt agencies were also alerted. Leaflets, awareness meetings at PS level, miking etc were also organised last year. After successful control and containment of Poppy last year, district administration has decided to repeat the same strategy this year also.

A meeting of district level committee will be held tomorrow at 12 noon at Sanskriti Metro Burdwan where all GPs, Officers of Agriculture, Police, Land, Excise, Narcotics and administration has been called to attend. We hope to achieve ZERO CULTIVATION of poppy in Burdwan district this year.