Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to further strengthen field-level monitoring to completely curb illegal cannabis cultivation on government land.
Revenue and Disaster Management Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee has written to Collectors of 6 districts, directing field-level revenue officials to remain alert. The districts identified are Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati.
Padhee instructed Tahsildars, Additional Tahsildars, Revenue Inspectors and Revenue Supervisors to take coordinated action. Officials have been asked to maintain constant surveillance over all government revenue land where illegal cannabis cultivation was detected and destroyed earlier, and to collect village-wise and plot-wise details along with GPS coordinates and keep them ready.
The Secretary also directed that if fresh illegal cultivation is detected on government land, the concerned police station, STF or ANTF must be informed immediately. Under Section 47 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, law enforcement agencies should be alerted without delay. An internal reporting mechanism is also to be set up at the district level.
The letter warned that strict action will be taken against any revenue official found assisting mafia involved in cannabis cultivation.
It is pertinent to mention that during the 2025-26 crop season cannabis destruction drive, Odisha Police destroyed illegal cannabis cultivation in 1,631 GPS-mapped land parcels spread over 36,508.792 acres under 41 police stations in the six identified districts. Of this, 6,632.197 acres was identified as government revenue land.
The Police Department has also shared GPS coordinates of locations where illegal cultivation was destroyed between November 2025 and March 2026. Based on this data, the government will now carry out systematic and continuous monitoring of those plots.
Padhee noted that offenders tend to reuse the same government revenue land in remote and inaccessible areas every year. With the 2026-27 crop season having begun, there is a possibility of cannabis being cultivated again on land cleared earlier. Hence, special focus has been asked in those areas.
He also stressed on better coordination with the local police administration to prevent illegal cultivation.
