Chandigarh, July 4: Further tightening the noose around drug abuse, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered mandatory dope test of all government employees, including police personnel, from the time of their recruitment through every stage of their service.
The Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to work out the modalities and have the necessary notification issued in this regard.
According to an official spokesperson, the Chief Minister has ordered drug screening to be mandatorily done in all cases of recruitment and promotions, as well as the annual medical examination that certain employees are required to undergo in accordance with the nature of their duties.
Dope test would be made mandatory for all recruitments as well as promotions to be made by various Punjab government departments, according to an official spokesperson. Further, dope test would also be made a mandatory part of the Annual Medical examination of all civilian/police employees of the Punjab government, wherever prescribed, he added.
The move is part of the series of initiatives taken by the Chief Minister over the last three days to eliminate the drug menace from Punjab.
The orders came on the day when the Chief Minister formally communicated his Cabinet’s recommendation to the Centre, seeking amendment to the NDPS Act to provide for death penalty for first-time offenders too.
The Chief Minister has already issued a strict warning to drug smugglers and peddlers to give up their nefarious activities or face stringent action.
