BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 6th November 2025: Despite Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha’s statewide campaign to make Tripura drug-free, the general administration of Sepahijala district has come under fire for its alleged inaction in the fight against illegal cannabis cultivation.
For years, vast stretches of cannabis plantations have flourished across the district, particularly in areas like Kamalnagar, Ghatighar, the eastern side of Kamalnagar School, near the Boxanagar Forest Office, Bagbari, and Beluarchar. While police forces have occasionally conducted raids, the district and sub-divisional administrations especially in Sepahijala and Sonamura have been conspicuously absent from these operations, locals allege.
Although the responsibility for such anti-narcotics drives lies not only with the police but also with the civil administration, officials reportedly remain confined to their air-conditioned offices during standard working hours, showing little interest in field-level enforcement. The district magistrate, who oversees the Excise Department, has the authority to direct action, but sources claim that such directives are rarely issued. As a result, Excise officials are largely inactive, and cannabis cultivation continues unabated in the district’s hilly terrains.
This lack of initiative stands in stark contrast to the proactive stance once taken by former Additional District Magistrate Manik Lal Das and former Sonamura Sub-Divisional Magistrate Subhasis Das. During their tenure, the administration launched aggressive drives that sent a strong message to cultivators. However, following their departure, the momentum appears to have stalled.
Critics argue that if the administration were genuinely committed to the state’s anti-drug mission, it could have mobilized laborers and security forces including the police, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), and Border Security Force (BSF) to uproot the plantations. The continued inaction has led many to question whether vested interests are at play.
As cannabis fields continue to thrive year after year, the silence and inaction of the Sepahijala administration raise serious concerns about its role in building a drug-free society.
