Bhubaneswar, Aug 14 (IANS) The Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) Department has directed field-level revenue officials in six districts to intensify vigilance against illegal cannabis cultivation on government land, particularly in areas identified as ganja cultivation hotspots.
The Additional Chief Secretary of the (R&DM) department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has written to the Collectors of the six districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati districts — directing them to sensitise the field revenue department functionaries, including the Tehsildars, Additional Tehsildars, Revenue Supervisors and Revenue Inspectors in this regard.
Padhee, in his letter dated August 10, noted that during the cannabis destruction drive undertaken in the 2025-26 crop season, the Odisha Police destroyed illegal cannabis cultivation spread over 36,508.792 acres across 1,631 GPS-mapped plots under 41 police stations in the six identified districts. Of the total area, 6,632.197 acres were found to be government/ revenue land.
The Police Department has also provided the GPS coordinates of the locations where illicit cannabis cultivation was destroyed during the previous crop season (November 2025 to March 2026). Based on this data, systematic and continuous monitoring will be carried out on the concerned land parcels. Dr Padhee has specifically directed officials to remain vigilant as persons involved in illegal cannabis cultivation, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas, tend to reuse the same government revenue land for cultivation every year.
As the 2026-27 crop season has begun, there is a possibility of illegal cannabis cultivation being taken up again on land where crops had previously been destroyed. All field-level officials have therefore been instructed to keep a special watch on such areas. Tehsildars, Additional Tehsildars, Revenue Inspectors (RIs) and Revenue Supervisors of the concerned districts have been directed to take coordinated action.
They have also been instructed to maintain continuous surveillance of all government revenue land where illegal cannabis cultivation was previously detected and destroyed, and to keep records of the concerned land, including village- and plot-wise details along with GPS coordinates, ready in advance.
Similarly, if illegal cannabis cultivation is detected again on government revenue land, officials have been directed to immediately inform the concerned police station, the Special Task Force (STF) or the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), as required under Section 47 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The Additional Chief Secretary has directed the Collectors of the concerned districts to ensure that an appropriate internal reporting mechanism may also be instituted at the district level to ensure prompt transmission of such information to the concerned law-enforcement agencies without delay.
The officials have further been directed to maintain close coordination with the local police administration to prevent illegal cannabis cultivation and ensure strict compliance with the instructions.
Padhee has also issued a stern warning that strict action will be taken immediately if any revenue official is found assisting any individual or mafia involved in illegal cannabis cultivation.
–IANS
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