The
Ludhiana Rural Police has arrested a man for allegedly sowing the banned substance poppy opium in his house. A man named Mohammad Hoof from the Village Gujjarwal Jodhan
area was arrested with 190 saplings.
Ludhiana
Rural SSP Patil Ketan Baliram said in a statement that a raid was conducted at
Mohammad Hoof's residence after a tip-off. Upon checking, 190 saplings of opium
were found sown on his terrace which was confiscated and the man was arrested.
FIR under Sections 16/61/85 NDPS Act was registered at Jodhan Police Station
against the culprit, The SSP added.
This has started a new discourse that should opium plantation be legalized in Punjab as in a few other states it's already legal under a license.
Over the
period, many politicians have demanded the legalization of Opium plantations in
Punjab to improve the financial health of the farmers.
In the year
2018, at Famous Chhapar Mela, Then AAP MP from Patiala and now a social
activist Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi planted Opium along with some farmers as a mark of
protest and a DDR Written against him. Though no case was registered as a step
was just a mark of protest and quantity was not commercial.
Although
opium plantation is prohibited under section 8 of NDPS act 1985 it is allowed
under a license in some areas in neighboring
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh but is illegal in Punjab for reasons
unknown.