Pop Goes The Seed
Opium processing goes private -- but will it be safe from the narcotic cartels?
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- The 1,140 tonnes of raw opium lying unprocessed in government factories will be put to use.
- Private pharma firms will invest in infrastructure for producing opium derivates like codeine and morphine which has high demand
- Will generate funds that the government can use to modernise its opium factories
- But there are fears privatisation may lead to more illicit cultivation of opium
- Unless there is strict vigilance, opium as well its derivatives like morphine could be diverted into the illegal market
- India has a lax record of monitoring pharma firms dealing in sensitive drugs