|
|
|
|
Patna,(BiharTimes): Poppy cultivation is going on in several interior villages of Kaimur, Gaya, Rohtas, Jamui, Katihar, East Champaran and other districts of Bihar.
Though police blame the Maoists for its cultivation as they get big money to purchase arms and ammunition local villagers, to whom BiharTimes talked to, see the official connivance in its growth. |
However, independent observers are of the view that both Left extremists as well as local farmers, with the political and bureaucratic patronage, are engaged in this illegal business as big money is involved in it. One of the villager of Dumaria block of Gaya district, one of the worst Naxal-hit blocks, said that many illegal acts are committed by the local people in the name of MCC. They still call CPI (Maoist) by its old name, the MCC.
In old Rohtas district poppy used to be secretly grown in some villages of Ramgarh and Mohania blocks and in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in late 1980s. Official connivance was then not ruled out. Once again this practice of growing poppy had started in many villages of Kaimur and other adjoining districts.
Reports suggest that the Narcotics Control Bureau has started providing the Bihar Police satellite images of poppy fields in different parts of the state. On the basis of these images, the police have detected several poppy fields in Gaya, Rohtas, Katihar, East Champaran and Jamui districts.
Reports said that in Sherghati sub-division of Gaya district––Dumaria falls in this block––the police have destroyed poppy sown in some six acres of land a few weeks back. The Katihar police destroyed poppy plants cultivated in over an acre of land in Kaala diara.
Top police source concede that the police sometimes get confused in distinguishing between sunflower and poppy flowers in satellite images as both are yellow. In some cases, when they reached some locations on the basis of satellite images, they had to return empty handed.
But police would be able to zero in on after the harvesting of sunflowers would be over in a month time.
Poppy-farmers or Maoists grow poppy in the interior villages. They grow either sugarcane or maize crop on the periphery of poppy fields to cover their illegal business.
It is natural for the government to be concerned of this development as narco-terrorism or narco-crime has played havoc with many countries, be it in South and East Asia, Africa or Latin America. Poppy crop fetches high prices in international market, therefore, it gives birth to the smuggling of heroin.
comments...
|
|
