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Manipur proposes suspension of NFSA benefits in villages that cultivate poppy
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said around 15 acres of poppy plantations were destroyed at Lhangsom Village under Saikul Police Station in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday
IMPHAL: The Manipur government is considering suspending food security benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to people in villages where poppy continues to be cultivated, state minister Leishangthem Susindro said in a letter to the union government on Monday. The move comes days after the minister spoke about plans to cancel ration cards of people involved in poppy cultivation.
“With an objective to deter people from taking up further poppy plantation, 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 of the National Food Security Act”, Susindro’s letter to union minister Piyush Goyal, who also holds the portfolio of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
Susindro ‘s letter to the Union government cited the state government’s continuing initiatives to encourage people to distance themselves from poppy cultivators. “The district administration along with other departments such as police, forest etc are vigorously taking up the exercise of physical destruction of existing poppy cultivation in far-flung areas of the state,” the letter said.
“We were upset to see the cultivation of poppy plants during an aerial survey on Friday…,” the letter said, listing 29 villages in three districts, Chandel (13), Churachandpur (5) and Kangpokpi(11) where poppy cultivation was spotted “despite the state government ‘s continuous appeal to stop their plantations.”
On Tuesday, chief minister N Biren Singh, who is fronting the campaign against drugs in the state, said 15 acres of poppy plantation were destroyed at Lhangsom Village under Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.
Singh announced on MOnday that the government was deploying drones to destroy poppy plantations and that “more such missions to be carried out in all the areas where poppy is being cultivated.”
