Guntur: Home minister V Anitha said ganja cultivation had drastically decreased in the state and most of the ganja seized during the past few months was produced and was being transported from Odisha.

She said the state government is taking steps to check cultivation and supply of ganja and drugs and strict action is being taken against the pedlars and cultivators.

Responding to the question raised by the YSRCP MLCs P Ravidrababu and Chandragiri Yesuratnam, in Council on Thursday, she said DGP level officers of AP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Tel-angana and Odisha discussed the co-ordination and to check ganja menace.

Anitha said it is proposed to cancel welfare schemes to the family members of ganja cultivators and peddlers, adding that as per the Central government rules, ganja cultivation, supply, sale or purchase is an offence and stern action would be taken against the accused.

The home minister recalled that the EAGLE department was set up to deal with the ganja and narcotics, which is working with co-ordination with other departments. Thousands of awareness programmes were conducted in schools and colleges across the state on ill-effects of consumption of ganja. Most of the ganja stock seized in the state was cultivated in Odisha and Chhattisgarh states, she added.

Anitha said 7.4 lakh kg ganja was seized in the country in 2021, out of which more than two lakh kg was seized in AP.

She informed the Council that drones are being used to get information on ganja cultivation. Some ganja cultivators and peddlers are ending the activity after noticing the drones in their villages.

Anitha said in some places, ganja cultivators are destroying the crop themselves due to the fear of police and arrests. Referring to cocaine, she informed that cocaine was seized at three places in the state at Vizag, Guntur and Kadapa.

She said de-addiction centres were formed in Kadapa for the drug addicts.