Treatment, not punishment, for Punjab government employees who fail dope test

Government employees have also been assured that they won't be sacked if they fail dope tests.

Representational image. Note: Use of banned substances of any kind is harmful to health, besides being illegal.

In his promised battle against the menace of drugs in his state, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has reportedly assured government employees who fail dope test that they would be provided treatment and that their identity would be kept confidential.

Amarinder Singh made anti-drugs drive one of his key poll promises before state elections held here last year. At the time, he had highlighted it as one of the biggest threats facing Punjab. In what now may well be the Congress leader's way of fulfilling his promise, government employees have reportedly been told that they would not be penalised if they fail dope tests. They also won't be sacked from their jobs. Instead, it is learnt, they would be provided treatment and that their identity would be kept a secret.

In addition to this, SHOs have been made accountable for ensuring villages under their jurisdiction are free from drugs and Amarinder has also ordered expediting of pending drug-related cases, according to the Chief Minister's Office.

While Punjab has an inherent problem with drugs, it is also an established fact that Pakistan has a strong hand to play in this. A 2016 AIIMS report said that the country is responsible for smuggling in drugs worth Rs 7,500 crore into Punjab each year. Indian authorities have previously warned Pakistan of putting an end to this with Home Minister Rajnath Singh even threatening strong action if the peddling continues from across the border.