Take away NFSA benefits from poppy growing villages, urges Minister
Susindro writes to Piyush Goyal
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 16 2023:
Taking serious note of the extensive plantation of poppy in some areas of the State, CAF&PD Minister L Susindro has written to Union CAF&PD Minister Piyush Goyal to take up necessary steps so that villagers who are involved in poppy plantation are kept away from the benefits of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The letter Susindro sent to Piyush Goyal today named around 29 villages of Chandel, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
By launching a War on Drugs, the State Government has been taking up various steps to check and eradicate drug menace in the State, said the letter.
As a part of the War on Drugs, Government agencies have been undertaking a sustained exercise of physically destroying poppy plantations in far flung areas of the State.
The Government has also been making many alternative arrangements for the poppy planters and many villages have come out in support of the Government's initiative, it said.
Susindro informed the Union CAF&PD Minister that during an aerial survey carried out on Friday large scale poppy plantations were discovered in many areas of Chandel, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
Poppy plantations were discovered in 13 villages of Chandel district namely; Khubung Khunnou, Govok, Lhangpikot, Leison, Khubung Khullen, Thorcham, Mombi, Hengmol, Thingcham, Phaisi, Khumulen, Kholmunlen and Leijang.
In Churachandpur district, poppy plantations were found in five villages on the Thangjing hill range.
Further, extensive poppy plantations were discovered in 11 villages of Kangpokpi district viz; M Ngamneh, Changsang (Bilei), Tingpibung, Waichong hill range, Hangoipat (Nathan hill range), Jangnoi, Sadang hill range, C Aisan, Sompung, Gullamand, Y Langkhong hill range, T Khullen, Haijang hill range, Songpijang and Selsi.
"With an objective to deter people from taking up further poppy plantation, the State Government is considering suspension of NFSA benefits to poppy cultivating villages which may be extended further to completely taking such poppy cultivating villages out of the purview of the National Food Security Act", the letter added.