Strong Action Against Ganja, Drugs in AP, Says Home Minister Anitha

Speaking to the media here on Monday, the minister said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu remained firm on the drive to control the spread of ganja and drugs. A cabinet sub-committee was formed with the inclusion of ministers of education, health, excise, tribal welfare. An elite anti-narcotics group for law enforcement (EAGLE) was set up with its headquarter in Amravati. Another step was the launch of task forces in Rajamahendravaram and Visakhapatnam, she said.

The minister said EAGLE cells were now functioning in all 26 districts.

Last year, 831 cases were booked, 2,114 persons were arrested, 23,770 kg of ganja seized, alongside 27 litres of hashish oil and 293 carrier vehicles. “We also seized assets worth `7.75 crore belonging to seven kingpins involved in promoting ganja cultivation. The action followed detection of their financial transactions.”

The home minister said that as part of Operation Garuda, nearly 100 joint teams of officials had raided medical shops across the state and seized 150 of them vis-a-vis violation of provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940. She praised the EAGLE teams for carrying out joint operations in 27 trains linked to Odisha. This led to the arrest of six persons, seizure of 37kg of ganja and 152 ganja chocolates.


Referring to criticism from the police chiefs of neighbouring states that AP had become a hub for ganja and drugs, the home minister said the present government took action to change such perceptions. “We transformed the north Andhra agency areas like Araku and Paderu, which were known as ganja hub earlier, as brand ambassadors for coffee. Araku Coffee outlets were set up even in Parliament and in other countries in a big way as part of this initiative,” she said.

The minister said that the government extended financial help to the tribals to take up alternative crops in 35,000 acres by supplying them with 40 lakh coffee saplings. We had targeted a supply of two crore saplings this year. The government has also set up over 40,000 EAGLE Clubs in all major schools and colleges in the state to bring about awareness among the students against use of ganja and drugs.

She advised former minister Perni Venkataramaiah to avoid critical remarks against the chief minister.