Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked excise officials to free the state from narcotics completely.
In a review meeting with officials in Amaravati on Monday, the Chief Minister said strict action should be taken against those engaged in activities pertaining to illicit liquor and cultivation of `Ganja’ plants.
He directed the officials to organise campaigns about the ill-effects of narcotics use and the stringent punishment to be given in line with the law, in colleges and universities.
The police, prohibition and excise officials should coordinate with each other in eliminating narcotics completely from the State, Reddy added.
According to a recent report of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the largest amount of narcotics in the country was seized in Andhra Pradesh in 2021-22.
While 18,267 kg of drugs/ narcotics were seized in Andhra Pradesh, it was followed by Tripura (10,104 kg), Assam (3,633 kg) and Telangana (1,012 kg).