Spilled beans

Patna, March 11: Cultivation of poppy crop has emerged as a major source of income for the Maoists operating in the state, police said.

They have been found encouraging the farmers to grow poppy crops in villages considered their stronghold especially in south and old central Bihar.

The fact came to light when a joint team of district police, special task force, central reserve police and personnel of the Cobra battalion on Thursday, destroyed poppy crop grown on about 10 acres of land at Singurahi village under Madanpur police station in Naxalite-hit Aurangabad district.

The illegal cultivation of poppy crop in the old bastion of the rebels was spotted through satellite images collected by the officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The cultivation of poppy crop on such a large scale in a remote village of Aurangabad has baffled senior police officials.

Rajvardhan Sharma, the additional director-general (headquarters), said: “The Maoists encouraged cultivation of poppy crop on their field as it fetched them a good profit. A large amount of the money collected through poppy cultivation goes to the banned outfit.”

A farmer can earn a profit of Rs 1-1.5 crore by growing opium crop on one acre of land, said Aurangabad superintendent of police Vivek Raj Singh. He said about 100gm of opium powder is obtained from about 5kg of liquid procured from the seed. One kg of opium seed fetches something between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 in the Indian market.

As there is no demand of opium seeds in the local market, they are sold outside the state mainly in the metros, an investigating officer said, adding that a major portion of the produce is supplied to Nepal and Bangladesh from Bihar.

“We have also come to know that poppy crops are now being cultivated on government land in remote areas to disown the ownership of the crops,” the SP said.

Rajvardhan Sharma said the CID officials were now busy spotting the areas where poppy crop cultivation was rampant. Aurangabad SP said: “We are getting regular feedback about cultivation of poppy crop from the farmers of the areas, which are considered to be a Maoist stronghold.” Sources in the state police headquarters said the Maoists encouraged poppy crop cultivation only in areas, which they described as “liberated zone”. Even the police seldom visit these areas.

Earlier, the district magistrate and the superintendent of police of Gaya had carried out an operation in three villages in Mohanpur block on a tip off that some farmers of the area were growing opium. The officials found that poppy crop was illegally grown in these villages, although on a small scale.

Sources said poppy crop was grown on about 1.5 acres of land. Though the identity of the actual landowners or those growing the illegal crop could not be ascertained as all the male members had left the villages after seeing the armed police personnel.

Sources said many farmers were not aware of the consequences of poppy cultivation. Police officials said a farmer during a raid in Gaya village had told them they had no option but follow the diktats of the Maoists because if they defy, the rebels would destroy the family of the farmer.

Sources said, Maoists have been engaged in opium cultivation in forest areas near the Jharkhand border for many years.

The Aurangabad SP told The Telegraph: “A case under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered against unidentified persons. Efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the actual owners of lands where poppy is cultivated.”

He also sought cooperation from people in detecting opium cultivation in other parts of the district and has promised to keep the identity of informers confidential and also reward them suitably.