R’sthan set to resume poppy sale, ignores state’s appeal

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, March 31

The BJP government in Rajasthan has finalised the modalities to renew poppy husk shop licences. There are 30 groups of traders in the business and most of them are regional political bigwigs.

The development is significant as the Centre had advised the Rajasthan government to reconsider its move to reopen poppy husk shops after the Punjab government had protested the move.

Sources said Rajasthan had sought more time from the UNO for imposing a ban on poppy husk production and sale.

Notably, the Punjab government had urged the Centre to ban production and sale of drugs in the BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. There are a number of poppy husk shops close to interstate border villages of Rajpura, Bakayanwala and Bazidpur Bhoma of Abohar subdivision and Kandukhera in Muktsar. The shops are also easily approachable from Sirsa district of Haryana.

It is a challenging task for the Punjab Police to check smuggling of contraband. There has been a spurt in drug smuggling during the wheat harvesting season for past many years as farmers reportedly serve tea mixed with “doda post” to farm workers.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had spoken to his Rajasthan counterpart Vasundhra Raje on the matter during the Chief Ministers’ conclave at New Delhi a few days after the formation of the Modi government.

District officials in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh too had expressed concern over unauthorised sale of husk to people from Punjab.

After the renewal of licences, poppy husk in Rajasthan will be sold at Rs 2,000 per kg against Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per kg earlier.