Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): Opium farmers in the state are in distress over the new policies on Monday by the Revenue Department of the Union Finance Ministry.
Hundreds of farmers of the Malwa Nimar region protested against the New Opium Policy announced by the Central Government, outside Narcotics Office, here in Neemuch on Thursday.
During these demonstrations, farmer leaders also raised slogans against Mandsaur MP Sudhir Gupta and demanded to repeal the policy.
Opium cultivators gathered outside the DNC office and protested over the policy and submitted a memorandum to DNC demanding amendment in the policy.
Opium farmers of MP and adjoining Rajasthan states were present in large numbers during the demonstration.
Madhya Pradesh is one of the major opium-producing states of India but not much has changed in the policy for 2021-22.
Farmers will get lease under the new policy but the politicians have not kept their promises of issuing new licenses. As no changes are visible in the new opium policy, farmers are pretty upset.
The minimum morphine percentage in opium production is assumed to be 4.2 to 5.9 per hectare. Although, The Central Bureau of Narcotics has given permission to only three states -- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan -- for the cultivation of opium.
