State authorities in Odisha have initiated a decisive crackdown against illegal cannabis cultivation being carried out on government-owned land across multiple regions. In a strict administrative directive, the state administration made it clear that public properties will not be allowed to serve as grounds for illicit drug farming. To ensure complete elimination of this illegal practice, instructions have been dispatched to scale up land surveillance immediately in six designated districts.
Official Directives Issued to Six District Collectors
The Revenue Secretary has formally written to the District Collectors of six key districts, directing them to implement immediate measures to curb illegal farming. The targeted areas include the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, and Gajapati. Administrative heads in these locations have been instructed to closely monitor all public land activities within their jurisdiction and swiftly alert enforcement agencies upon discovering any unauthorized agricultural work involving cannabis.
Ground-Level Revenue Officers Assigned Vigilance Duties
To pinpoint illicit plantations, local administrative personnel have been held directly responsible for continuous field checks. Under the mandate, Tehsildars, Additional Tehsildars, and Revenue Inspectors operating in the six districts are required to inspect government plots within their circles. This field team is tasked with verifying whether remote or vacant tracts of state land are being unlawfully utilized for cultivating cannabis crops.
Mandatory Reporting to Local Police and Anti-Narcotics Units
A streamlined reporting protocol has been established to eliminate operational delays once an illegal cultivation site is discovered. Field officers must immediately inform the nearest local police station without any lost time. Simultaneously, full details of the infraction must be shared with the Special Task Force (STF) and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force. Strengthening coordination between the Revenue Department and law enforcement agencies remains central to closing the gap between intelligence gathering and field raids.
Stern Penalties for Complicit or Inattentive Government Staff
The enforcement policy extends beyond drug syndicates to address potential corruption within state ranks. The Revenue Secretary explicitly warned that any government employee found intentionally assisting the illegal drug trade, or ignoring known cultivation sites, will face stern punitive measures. Following these directives, all six specified districts have intensified field monitoring to transmit real-time intelligence directly to law enforcement authorities.
