Punjab government employees to undergo annual drug test: CM Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh | Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday issued a mandatory order that all government employees including new recruits must go under annual drug test.

According to the new order, employees will be tested for drugs before being considered for promotion and it will be conducted apart from the annual medical check. The Cabinet will soon discuss the matter and the Chief Secretary has been directed to work out the modalities and get the order notified.

We’ve decided to go for dope tests for all govt. employees, including policemen, as part of our fight against drugs. I’ve asked the Chief Secy. to work out modalities for screening of employees at the time of recruitment, promotion and annual medical examination where applicable.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) July 4, 2018

Earlier CM Amarinder Singh wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding death penalty to death penalty for first-time drug smugglers and peddlers.

The chief minister has also ordered drug screening to be mandatory 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.

According to the government spokesperson, the dope test would be made mandatory for all recruitments as well as promotions to be made by various Punjab government departments. Further, the 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 Punjab CM has already issued a strict warning to drug smugglers and peddlers to give up their nefarious activities or face stringent action.

The orders have comes on a day the chief minister formally communicated his Cabinet’s recommendation to the Centre, seeking an amendment to the NDPS Act to provide for the death penalty for first-time offenders too.