By TC News Desk
Agartala, 22nd November 2024: The Bishramganj police station in collaboration with the 7th Battalion of TSR personnel conducted a major operation on Friday resulting in the destruction of 80,000 cannabis plants. The operation commenced at 11 am and concluded at 3 pm spanning approximately four hours.
The cannabis farms situated in the Shantaram Para and Khengrai Chowmuhani areas of Rang Mala Village in Charilam block were cultivated on private land deep within forest department territory. According to Bishramganj police, the estimated market value of the destroyed plants runs into several lakhs of rupees.
Local sources revealed that cannabis farmers in the area had invested heavily in these plantations. However, allegations have surfaced suggesting that these farmers did not pay the customary commission to the Bishramganj police station, prompting the raid. “Cannabis worth lakhs to crores of rupees is cultivated in the hilly areas of Bishramganj police station. The police have allegedly set a commission rate of Rs 10 per plant,” stated a local resident.
The raid covered about 17 locations was reportedly motivated by the farmers’ failure to send money to the police station this year. “Some cannabis farmers in the Rangmala area didn’t send money to the Bishramganj police station, leading to the destruction of their crops,” claimed a farmer from Shantaram Para.
An officer from the Bishramganj police station, speaking anonymously, disclosed that last year, the police collected over Rs 20 lakh in commissions from cannabis dealers and growers. The allegations of corruption and commission payments have raised questions about the integrity of the law enforcement operations.
Meanwhile, Udaipur police along with CRPF and TSR forces destroyed more than 9,000 cannabis plants in the reserve forest areas of Kanipathar under Kakraban police station. Acting on long-standing information about cannabis cultivation in the area, the police raided three plots in the forest. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nirman Das stated that the estimated market value of the destroyed plants is between Rs 10 to 12 lakh. Das confirmed that similar operations will continue to eradicate illegal cannabis cultivation in the region.
