But bhang sales churn out contrasting numbers
PRAYAGARAJ/MEERUT The sale of ‘bhang’ (an edible preparation of cannabis) has soared in Prayagraj but fallen sharply in Meerut in the Hindu holy month of Shravan (July 6 to 3 August this year) in the backdrop of the annual kanwar yatra’s cancellation, according to excise department officials in these two districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Usually, the consumption of bhang goes up during Shravan because devotees offer it to Lord Shiva and a good number of kanwarias consume it as ‘ prasad’ during the kanwar yatra, said Praveen Mishra, a priest at a temple in Prayagraj’s Naini area.
The kanwar yatra is an annual pilgrimage that devotees of Lord Shiva undertake during the monsoon in Shravan to fetch the holy waters of the Ganga and offer to it to the deity. The kanwar yatra has been cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Prayagraj, the demand was so high that the district’s monthly quota of 2,000 kilogram was consumed in a fortnight and the sellers have now demanded more supply from the excise department that monitors its sale, officials said. The excise department officials said licensed sellers were demanding more cannabis from the supply inspectors.
Despite the cancellation of kanwar yatra, the devotees were still offering ‘bhang’ to Lord Shiva enthusiastically and later consuming it themselves as prasad, a bhang seller said.
District excise officer Sandeep Bihari Modwel said cannabis was in heavy demand during ‘Shravan’. The monthly quota of 2,000 kilogram of cannabis had been sold, he said. The 121 licensed cannabis shops in the district generated Rs 43 lakh revenue every month, the official added.
In Meerut, the consumption of ‘bhang’ has fallen sharply due to cancellation of the kanwar yatra this year and the Covid-19 curbs. The usual demand of 6,000 kg had plummeted to 200 kg as of now, an excise department official said.
Like liquor vends, the excise department auctions bhang shops every year. Meerut has 14 shops authorised for the sale of ‘bhang’.
District excise officer Alok Kumar said only five shops were auctioned this year.
Despite a 50% or more reduction in licence fee, the remaining shopkeepers refused to bid for auction. The department mopped up revenue of over Rs 2.5 crore from the sale of bhang every year, he said.
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