Assam police destroys 170 bigha poppy farming in Goalpara’s char areas

Guwahati: In what was lauded by chief ministers of northeastern states fighting against the drugs, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that they have destroyed nearly 170 bighas (over 56 acres) of poppy farming in Western Assam’s Goalpara district.

Mr Sarma in a social media poast said, “Dear Local Pablo Escobars, Sorry to spoil your planned Udta Assam party! Because @Goalpara_Police destroyed 170 Bighas of poppy cultivation in the Char areas worth Rs 27.20 crore in January.”

The chief minister also uploaded a video of a tractor destroying the purported poppy plantation in the presence of police personnel. “So next time you think of drugs, think of Assam Police first,” he stated.

The destruction of poppy cultivation forms an integral component of the Assam government’s broader mission to combat drug abuse and preclude the state from serving as a conduit for drug trafficking.

Pablo Escobar was a drug lord in Columbia, who unsettled the country’s democratic government and whose illegal drug trade spread across continents.

Lauding the initiative of Assam police, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh appreciated his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma for his initiative in the fighting against the drugs especially the illegal cultivation of poppy or opium plants.

Appreciating the efforts, the Manipur chief minister in his social media posts said, “My deep appreciation for the decisive measures taken in Assam, under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma ji, in addressing the challenges posed by the cultivation of poppy.”

Mr Singh further wrote, “We stand together and remain resolute in our shared goal of building a future where every youth of the NE is protected, nurtured, and allowed to thrive free from the shadow of drugs.”

Notably, for Manipur, the war against drugs has been fought since 2017. Over 20,000 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the hill districts were destroyed during this period.