The Manipur government has launched an all-out drive against large-scale illegal poppy cultivation in the mountainous areas of the state, officials said here on Sunday.
A senior Home Department official said that a total of 703 people including five chiefs of hill villages have been arrested and over 400 acres of poppy fields destroyed during the past six months.
Poppy cultivation is an easy source of income for a large number of people as it is used in producing many drugs including morphine.
The illegal poppy cultivation is mainly going on in six hill districts -- Ukhrul, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Kamjong, Churachandpur and Tengnoupal.
According to the official, around 18,000 acres of illicit poppy plantation were destroyed by various law enforcing agencies including the Manipur Police in between 2017 and 2022.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who recently announced alternative cultivation for the poppy cultivators, had said that poppy farmers who surrendered voluntarily would be exempted from police cases.
Appropriate legal action would be initiated against those encouraging and supporting the poppy cultivation.
"After the BJP government came to power for the second time in last year's (2022) February-March elections, the war on drugs has become a people's movement," Singh stated.
While efforts are continuing to destroy illegal poppy plantations in the state, the Chief Minister recently indicated that the issue is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) if the case is hard to deal with.
Eastern Manipur's five districts shares around 400 km border with Myanmar with less than 10 per cent of its international border with Myanmar is fenced facilitating a safe transit route for illegal drugs trading to northeast India from 'Golden Triangle', the tri-junction of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand borders -- a hub of a thriving drugs peddling economy.
The state's geographical proximity to the 'Golden Triangle' and socio-economic-political situations are also coming in the way of the 'War against Drugs' - a campaign launched by the BJP-led government headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
NE CMs hail Union Budget, say will be helpful for region in various ways
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha also took to X to laud the Budget 2025 as the Modi government's blueprint for a Viksit Bharat and Aatmanirbhar Bharat as it covers farmers, the poor, the middle class, education, nutrition, health, startups and innovation. "Kudos to Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi and Nirmala Sitharaman".
Nil tax till Rs 12 lakh: How taxpayers will benefit from tax slab changes in Budget 2025-26
The big-ticket announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the income tax slab for an income up to Rs 12 lakh has brought wide cheers to the faces of the middle-class and taxpayers.
FM raises capex in FY 2025-26 to Rs 11.21 lakh crore for funding big infra projects
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has decided to continue with the high capital expenditure on big-ticket infrastructure projects in the highways, ports, railways, and power sectors with an allocation of Rs 11.21 lakh in the Budget for 2025-26, which represents an increase of 10.2 per cent over the Rs 10.18 crore that was spent on capex in 2024-25.
Union Budget: Centre clears citizens' doubt on new income tax slabs
The government on Saturday explained how the tax reforms, proposed under the new income tax slabs, will benefit the middle class and ease the tax burden for them.
Will give immense relief to middle class: PM Modi on Union Budget 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised the Union Budget 2025, emphasising that it not only meets India's present needs but also prepares the nation for the future.
PM Modi hails Union Budget 2025 as 'Janata Janardan Ka Budget'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded the Union Budget 2025, calling it a "Janata Janardan Ka Budget" and emphasising its people-centric approach that will propel India's development journey.
Budget 2025-26 gives big boost to agriculture as 'first engine of growth'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman identified agriculture as "the first engine" for India’s development journey with the announcement of a slew of measures in Budget 2025-26 to raise farm production and increase the incomes of farmers.