HP for marijuana-weeding in job plan; focus on pharma belt next to Punjab too

With Baddi having featured in the controversial movie ‘Udta Punjab’, the Himachal government has directed authorities to focus on the area while putting efforts to curb rising drug menace in the state.

With Baddi having featured in the controversial movie ‘Udta Punjab’, the Himachal government has directed authorities to focus on the area while putting efforts to curb rising drug menace in the state.

The HP government has written to the Centre to recognise weeding of cannabis plant as an activity under MNREGS. (HT File Photo)

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Baddi, which is the pharmaceutical hub of Asia, is also the place from where psychotropic drugs are allegedly supplied to other parts of Himachal and also to Punjab.

Additionally, the HP government has written to the Centre to recognise weeding of cannabis plant as an activity under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS).

Currently cannabis-plant destruction is carried out as a land development activity and is not a separate work head under MNREGS.

The Himachal government will launch an intense fifteen-day campaign to weed out cannabis across the state from August 22.