Odisha’s cannabis conundrum: Mafias keep planting weed on unused govt land

In the remote and inaccessible districts of Odisha, vast swaths of unused government and revenue land have been commandeered by illicit cannabis cultivation by criminal elements. The states of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati in Odisha witness this nefarious activity on a regular basis as evidenced by official records.

During the 2025-26 crop season, the Odisha police carried out a crackdown on illegal cannabis plantations, razing an area of 36,508 acres across these six districts. Notably, 6,632 acres of this seized land belonged to government or revenue properties. In response to the threat posed by this illegal crop, the Revenue Department has instructed Collectors of these districts to keep a watchful eye on the areas where illicit cannabis cultivation had previously been detected or eradicated.

As per Revenue Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee, individuals involved in illegal cannabis cultivation often return to the same parcels of land every season, especially in areas that are remote and hard to monitor. The new crop season brings with it a heightened risk of re-establishment of illegal cannabis plantations on the same cleared lands unless vigilant surveillance is maintained.

The District Collectors have been directed to immediately inform the local police or the Special Task Force about any new instances of illegal cannabis cultivation on government or revenue land, in accordance with Section 47 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The state government has also issued a stern warning against any officials who might be in cahoots with the mafia or other criminal elements involved in illegal cannabis cultivation.

Any such officials would face serious disciplinary and possibly criminal repercussions. The state government’s warning comes in the wake of suspicions that some police personnel and field-level officials are playing a part in facilitating illegal cannabis cultivation. Express Explains | Why growing a cannabis plant in your balcony is a crime, but buying bhang isn’t.

Any officials found colluding with vested interests or mafia elements would face strict disciplinary/criminal action. The district collectors have also been tasked with overseeing the actions of the field-level functionaries to prevent illegal ganja cultivation. The allure of cannabis cultivation in Odisha's hinterlands stems from the lucrative returns it offers.

According to the police, ganja cultivation can yield anywhere between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per kilogram, significantly more than what can be earned from other legal crops. Moreover, the remoteness of these areas makes it harder for law enforcement to detect and intervene in the cultivation, emboldening the criminal elements. Besides, people from outside often infiltrate these villages and fund the villagers to grow the crop, all the while keeping the culprits’ identities concealed.

Many of these six districts were once plagued by Left-wing extremism, with Kandhamal and Boudh only recently declared Maoist-free. It is in this context that illicit cannabis cultivation has also been patronized by Maoist groups, and has hence emerged as one of their primary revenue sources. The Odisha Police recently reported that they had destroyed over 108 metric tonnes of seized ganja, valued at around Rs 544 crore, during a special drive conducted in the months of June and July.

Odisha stands as a primary hub for illegal cannabis cultivation and trafficking, supplying major inter-state syndicates operating in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Goa, as per police sources.