The Manipur government on Monday considered suspension of NFSA benefits for poppy cultivating villages, in a strong reaction against poppy cultivation in various villages despite the chief minister's appeal to stop the cultivation.
In this regard, CAFPD Minister L Susindro has written to Union CAFPD Minister Piyush Goyal as an acknowledgement from the state government to the Central government.
The letter written to the Union minister highlighted the state government’s initiative to encourage people from doing away with poppy cultivation as a part of War on Drugs.
It informed that the district administrations along with other departments such as Police and Forest are vigorously taking up the exercise of physical destruction of existing poppy cultivation in farflung areas of the state.
It mentioned that some of the villages have also come forward to voluntarily take up the exercise of destroying Poppy plantations. “We were upset to see the cultivation of poppy plants during an aerial survey on Friday in parts of those 36 villages,” it stated.
“With an objective to deter people from taking up further poppy cultivation, 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 or consideration under the NFSA,” the letter stated.
