Officials from the Excise and Prohibition Department on Thursday destroyed ganja plantations spread across 35 acres in the interior areas of Boddaputtu village in Paderu mandal of Visakhapatnam district.
Based on credible information of mass cultivation of ganja crops, around 80 staff from the department from Anakapalle, Paderu, Narsipatnam, accompanied by local police, conducted raids at the plantations at Bodduputtu village, which is about 15 km from Paderu headquarters.
According to Inspector, Excise Special Task Force Team, K. Kameswara Rao, about 30,000 to 35,000 saplings were destroyed by the teams. The plantations are worth ₹7 crore, he said.
Earlier in 2018, the excise teams in association with police, forest, revenue and Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA) officials have conducted such raids and destroyed ganja plantations on a huge scale across 10 mandals in Visakhapatnam Agency areas. In 2020, this is the first time that officials have taken up ganja destruction on such a large scale.
Deputy Commissioner, Excise & Prohibition, Visakhapatnam, T. Srinivasa Rao said that such raids would continue in the district.
