Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): Resentment is brewing among farmers over the New Opium Policy announced on Monday by the Revenue Department of the Union Finance Ministry.
There is a possibility that thousands of farmers will get lease under the new policy but the politicians and babus have not kept their promises of issuing new licenses. As no changes are visible in the new opium policy, farmers are pretty upset.
Farmers said that they would gherao Neemuch Narcotics Office on Wednesday at 11 am in order to protest and will submit a memorandum to the DNC demanding changes in the opium policy.
New Opium Policy fails to meet cultivators expectations
The much-awaited opium production policy was officially announced late on Monday by the Revenue Department of the Union Finance Ministry.
Not much has changed in the policy for 2021-22, said an expert. The minimum morphine percentage in opium production is assumed to be 4.2 to 5.9 per hectare. Last year also opium production licenses were given to the cultivators on the same basis, he added.
The new policy provides that persons who are booked under the NDPS Act and have been acquitted till July 31, 2021- are eligible get licences on fulfilment of other conditions.
It provided for issuance of leases of minimum 5 aari, 6 aari, 10 aari and maximum of 12 aaris. Mandsaur, Neemuch, Jaora, Ratlam, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Kota, Jhalawar, Udaipur and other regions alone produce 80 % of the country's total opium. Around 50,000 farmers cultivate opium. The lease of opium production is considered to be a prestige factor among farmers.
