By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PHULABANI: Odisha Excise Secretary Sushil Kumar Lohani on Tuesday ruled out any such move to legalise Ganja cultivation in the State.
Farmers will not be allowed to cultivate Ganja (cannabis) as the practice of ganja cultivation it continued to remain illegal across Odisha, Lohani, who holds additional charge as Odisha, CEO, informed about the same following a meeting here.
The meeting chaired by Lohani had an extensive discussion was held over-cultivation of hemp in the State.As per reports, many industrial houses had proposed to make ganja cultivation legal in Odisha due to its high medicinal properties but the proposal was not accepted by the Law Department.
“On several occasions, many industries have come up with proposals requesting to allow them carry out hemp cultivation or supply hemp to them citing that it has high medicinal value. But the law department has rejected such proposals,” said Lohani.
Meanwhile, illegal ganja plantation worth crores of rupees have been destroyed by the Excise department at Baliguda PS limits in Kandhamal district.
Acting on a tip- off, a joint team of Baliguda Police and Excise officials conducted raids in Andira, Maskapadara and Kapapadara villages and destroyed the ganja cultivation.
During the raid, cannabis plantation on around 190 acres of land, estimated to worth around Rs 19 crores, was destroyed.
