Chief Secretary of Odisha, Anu Garg, chaired the 7th meeting of the State-Level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) held at the Lok Seva Bhawan conference hall on Tuesday. The meeting focused on strengthening measures to control drug trafficking, create awareness for building a drug-free society, and improve coordination among various departments and enforcement agencies.
Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary of Home and Information & Public Relations Department Hemant Sharma, Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania, CID-Crime Branch DG Binayatosh Mishra, Deputy Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Kolkata, and senior officers from different state departments participated in the meeting and shared their suggestions.
During the meeting, the CID-Crime Branch highlighted the progress made in the fight against illegal narcotics. It was informed that between 2024 and 2026, more than 513 metric tonnes of ganja have been seized across Odisha. A total of 3,238 cases have been registered, leading to the arrest of 4,534 people. Authorities have also destroyed more than 69,470 acres of illegal ganja cultivation.
The meeting further revealed that over 33 kilograms of brown sugar and more than two lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrup have been seized. In a special operation conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, seven members of an interstate drug trafficking network were arrested, and narcotics worth around Rs 230 crore, including hashish oil and ganja, were recovered.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to take stronger action against drug networks and improve coordination at district levels. She advised that NCORD-related issues should be discussed during meetings with district collectors and stressed the need for faster trials in narcotics cases.
She also emphasized expanding public awareness campaigns, especially among youth, to protect them from drug abuse. The meeting suggested promoting profitable agricultural activities and alternative livelihood opportunities for people involved in illegal ganja cultivation to help achieve the goal of a drug-free Odisha.