Excise Dept carries out massive drive against poppy cultivators
Srinagar, May 18: Officials of Excise department J&K along with Revenue and Police authorities carried out the Poppy destruction drive at village Dupatyar in Bijbehara of District Anantnag, a statement issued by the organization said.
The Poppy destruction drive was carried out under the supervision of Excise Commissioner J & K, Pankaj Kumar Sharma (JKAS) in presence of Tazayun Mukhtar (JKAS) Dy Excise Commissioner (Executive) Kashmir and assisted by ETO South Kashmir Range (Anantnag-Pulwama-Shopian-Kulgam) Hamid Ganaie,Tehsildar Bijbehara G.R Bhat, ETO central Kashmir Shamsuduha, ETO North Kashmir Showket Bahar and other Officials of Excise, Revenue and Police.
Men and machinery of Excise department was in place and destruction drive was carried out in presence of Executive Magistrate/Revenue Officer. Around three Kanals & 10 Marlas of illicit Cultivation in discrete Patches was destroyed on spot, the statement said.
Briefing the media about the drive carried out Pankaj Kumar Sharma said that Excise Department along with other Law Enforcement agencies have destroyed as many as 982 Kanals and 16 marlas of Poppy Cultivation in Kashmir valley so far since April 2023 to till date 721 Kanals and 2 Marlas of Poppy cultivation has been destroyed alone in four districts of South Kashmir (Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam) against which 18 FIR stands registered during this period.
The Excise Commissioner said that Excise department along with other Law Enforcement agencies are working at the fore front in combating /containing the menace of illicit cultivation of poppy and cannabis at ground level.
The Excise Commissioner also pledged to take the struggle against narcotic crops to its logical conclusion, saying that the Excise department is actively involved in Awareness programs at large scale and has organized many drug awareness programs at college, school, and Block and village level.
He said that the department has involved religious scholars particularly imams and khateebs to aware the people about the ill effects of poppy cultivation. The people of the vicinity hailed the efforts of Excise department, Revenue authorities, Police Officials and media fraternity during the Poppy eradication drive.
Notably, the poppy destruction drive was simultaneously being carried out in villages Durhama, K.B pora Chcha muhalla of District Kulgam and in village Sugan of District Shopian respectively where more than thirty kanals of illicit Poppy cultivation was destroyed jointly by Excise, Revenue authorities along with other stake holders.
