As many as 4,51,200 ganja plants were destroyed in a joint operation by the police and the excise personnel at several villages under Chitrakonda police station, Sub-Divisional police officer Sambit Sampad and Malkangiri SP, excise, Ramesh Chandra Behera, said at a joint press conference here.
The villages where illegal ganja cultivation, suspected to have been backed by Maoist ultras, were found were Badapadar, Sariapali, Kadarguma, Phulpadar, Bailiguma, Dabuguda, Rathaguda and Khalapadar.
"The illegal ganja cultivation was being carried out in over 65 acre of land at Chitrakonda police station area. We suspect that the illegal ganja cultivation get encouragement from the Maoists," Sampad told reporters while replying to a question.