Commission points at Maoist links with drug mafias

The Statesman, 21st December, 2008

The frontal organisations of the Maoists support extensive cultivation of ganja in remote inaccessible hilly terrains of the state while the illegal drug trafficking is to some extent patronised by a few politicians, according to the report of a commission of inquiry instituted by the state government.Though materials available to the Justice PK Mohanty Commission of Inquiry on activities and operation of drug mafias since 2000-02, shows that there are large scale drug trafficking in Orissa, there was no clinching material to conclusively establish the involvement of any external agency or people in position.The report of the commission placed in the Assembly today does note that illicit drug trade is flourishing day by day and it almost goes unabated in the absence of effective trained personnel, efficient and well equipped government machinery.The commission report refers to top cop Mr Amarananda Pattnaik’s probe on drug mafias in the state. The senior IPS officer had provided a vivid view of the transaction of narcotic drugs and the transport routes as well as the Maoist link.Ganja is cultivated with active support and backing by frontal outfits of Peoples War in Gajapati district.Apana Naidu, a native of Andhra Pradesh is said to be the kingpin in transport of ganja. FM Patel of Bargarh district who had been booked earlier had given up the clandestine business and joined a political party while some of his associates are still in the business noted the report.The illegal ganja is transported from Chitrakonda-Gobindpali-Ramgiri to Raipur in Chhatisgarh. The second route for such consignments is via Kalimela-Malkangiri-Jeypore, Kalahandi, Bargarh to Raipur of Chhatisgarh while the third route is from Koraput to Bhawanipatna to Bargarh.The probe revealed that Azad Parvez, an alleged drug lord who has been arrested used to donate money to political parties during elections but there was no material evident to corroborate this.The commission recommended gearing up of local enforcement agencies, proper training, periodical coordination meetings between enforcement agencies including the Narcotic Control Bureau, separate police units, special public prosecutors for NDPS cases and that a state Narcotic Control Cell should be set up.