Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) had launched an offensive against illegal poppy cultivation in the states of Jharkhand and Bihar especially in naxal dominated areas.
SSB had launched this in order to financially cripple the naxals and put an end to their attacks against the security forces, according to an official statement released by the SSB.
In 2017-18, SSB battalions had successfully destroyed the poppy cultivation approximately spread across 550 acres of land.
The average production of poppy cultivation is 20 kg per acre, and the production cost is Rs 1 lakh per acre. Therefore, the total cost of poppy cultivation destroyed by SSB was rupees 55 crores.
The SSB had also used Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the operation to scan the illegal poppy cultivation.
After destroying the cultivation, the SSB lodged an FIR with the local police against the owner of the lands.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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