<p>All government job aspirants in Punjab have to undergo a mandatory drug test to prove that they do not use narcotics, the state government announced on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At a high-level meeting on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved the proposal mandating that all contenders for the government services must first receive a medical clearance certificate to ensure that drug addicts do not enter the state machinery. <br /><br />“The need of the hour is to combat the menace of drugs in a more effective manner,” the chief minister said. Punjab, which has overwhelming instances of drug peddling and drug use by the youth, is perhaps the first state to take such a measure.<br /><br />Instructions have been issued to amend existing rules and incorporate mandatory drug tests in medical examinations of candidates. <br /><br />Badal believes that the move will improve human resources and build a healthier workforce in government departments, besides encourage the youth to shun the menace of drugs.<br /><br />De-addiction centres in Punjab have been full ever since the state police launched an offensive to dismantle the supply lines facilitating drug addicts. With the zero-tolerance approach of the police, this year, over 9,900 cases have been registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and a whopping 11,400 people have been arrested on drug-related charges.<br /><br />With addicts being unable to get their supply of drugs, as many as 2.08 lakh people got treated at rehabilitation centres by the end of July. <br /><br />Drug addicts undergoing treatment at these centres are to be issued identity proofs for better treatment and checks. <br /><br />Besides the existing ones, the state government has announced that 50 bedded de-addiction centres will be operational at Patiala, Jalandhar and Bathinda by the end of the year.<br /><br />The chief minister also asked officers in the state government to explore the possibility of maintaining a centralised database of all rehabilitation centres to ensure that drug addicts do not misuse medicinal drugs.</p>
<p>All government job aspirants in Punjab have to undergo a mandatory drug test to prove that they do not use narcotics, the state government announced on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At a high-level meeting on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved the proposal mandating that all contenders for the government services must first receive a medical clearance certificate to ensure that drug addicts do not enter the state machinery. <br /><br />“The need of the hour is to combat the menace of drugs in a more effective manner,” the chief minister said. Punjab, which has overwhelming instances of drug peddling and drug use by the youth, is perhaps the first state to take such a measure.<br /><br />Instructions have been issued to amend existing rules and incorporate mandatory drug tests in medical examinations of candidates. <br /><br />Badal believes that the move will improve human resources and build a healthier workforce in government departments, besides encourage the youth to shun the menace of drugs.<br /><br />De-addiction centres in Punjab have been full ever since the state police launched an offensive to dismantle the supply lines facilitating drug addicts. With the zero-tolerance approach of the police, this year, over 9,900 cases have been registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and a whopping 11,400 people have been arrested on drug-related charges.<br /><br />With addicts being unable to get their supply of drugs, as many as 2.08 lakh people got treated at rehabilitation centres by the end of July. <br /><br />Drug addicts undergoing treatment at these centres are to be issued identity proofs for better treatment and checks. <br /><br />Besides the existing ones, the state government has announced that 50 bedded de-addiction centres will be operational at Patiala, Jalandhar and Bathinda by the end of the year.<br /><br />The chief minister also asked officers in the state government to explore the possibility of maintaining a centralised database of all rehabilitation centres to ensure that drug addicts do not misuse medicinal drugs.</p>
