'Udta Punjab' goes for dope test on all govt employees

Chandigarh: Probably for the first time in India, a chief minister has ordered a mandatory dope test on all government employees in the state. Punjab's Captain Amarinder Singh is the chief minister who was forced to make such an announcement on Thursday as the state has the dubious distinction of being the drug capital of the country.

The CM ordered the dope test on 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 issue necessary notification in this regard, an official spokesperson said.

The chief minister has ordered drug screening must be 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.

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.

The move is part of a series of initiatives taken by the chief minister over the past three days to eliminate the drug menace from Punjab.

The order comes on a day 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.

Singh has already issued a strict warning to drug smugglers and peddlers to give up their nefarious activities or face stringent action. On July 2, the Punjab Cabinet had decided to recommend to the Centre death penalty for drug peddlers and smugglers.

The dope test comes at a time when the state is facing acute criticism over the issue of rampant drug addiction, a scenario which was portrayed in a Bollywood film ‘Udta Punjab’. The movie had created controversy ahead of its release as the then Punjab government wanted to ban the film in the state.

Rampant drug abuse was the main poll plank during the assembly elections in Punjab in 2017. Besides major political parties, leaders of relatively small outfits had also raised the issue given that the Punjab government itself had admitted that close to 70% of its youth use drugs.

During the 2017 poll campaign, Captain Amarinder had promised to free Punjab from the clutches of drug mafia.

Even though Border Security Force (BSF) had stepped up operations at the Indo-Pak international border to check narcotics smuggling from Pakistan, the demand to bring the smugglers of synthetic drugs to book was also raised by several political parties and NGOs.

Ahead of the polls, Captain Amarinder had accused then Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia of being involved in the drugs trade. The name of Damanvier, son of Punjab then jail minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur had also figured in the synthetic drug racket after the arrest of deputy superintendent of police, Jagdish Singh Bhola, who was believed to be the kingpin in the drug trade.

“He (Majithia) is the conduit between state drug traffickers and those settled abroad,” Captain had stated.

The CM's present action is perceived as a move to convey to the people that he has done what he has promised.

However, these little efforts by the government is unlikely to help Punjab get rid of the drug menace. During Congress government's reign between 2002 and 2007, 22,938 people were arrested in connection with drug trade in Punjab. During the SAD-BJP led government's rule between 2007 and 2012, around 50,000 were arrested.

Similar is the case of seizures of drugs such as opium, heroin, poppy husk and smack.

In 2016 just ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, when Punjab government announced the recruitment for 7,416 constables, 3,75,862 candidates appeared for the physical endurance test. However, 6,558 of them were tested positive for drugs. The SAD government had introduced dope test for police recruitment following criticism from various corners.

According to a study by the AIIMS, Punjab has nearly 8.6 lakh opioid users and 2.3 lakh opioid drug dependents.

The Punjab government in 2009 had stated before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that entire Punjab was in the grip of drugs. The state government had told the HC that 67 per cent of the state's rural household had at least one drug addict.

In an affidavit, the state government stated:

• Around 66 per cent of the school-going students in the state consume gutkha/tobacco.

• Every third male and every tenth female student has taken drugs on one pretext or the other.

• Seven out of 10 college-going students abuse one or the other drug.

• 67 per cent of its rural household has at least one drug addict.

• Amount of narcotic substances seized in the state among the highest in the country.

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