In a strict move, the Himachal Pradesh government is set to make an anti-chitta (synthetic drug) test compulsory for all government sector recruitments. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said students seeking admission to professional courses will also be required to undergo the test.
Disclosing this at a press conference on Monday, Sukhu said the government had earlier made the test mandatory for all candidates during the recruitment of police constables. He said anyone providing information about drugs or chitta in the state would be rewarded with Rs 20,000.
Sukhu said the move was aimed at curbing drug abuse in Himachal Pradesh. He added that the Congress government had intensified its campaign against drug abuse as the youth were suffering badly due to the menace.
He said his government implemented the PIT NDPS Act immediately after assuming office in the state. He added that policemen found involved in drug trafficking had been terminated from service. The government, he said, would not allow drug-traffickers to go scot-free or accumulate property through chitta trade.
Sukhu said the government had involved different sections of society in the anti-chitta campaign and organised walkathons in various districts to create awareness. He exhorted Panchayati Raj Institutions to actively participate in the anti-chitta campaign after the PRI polls are over. He said over 200 out of 3,600 panchayats had witnessed cases of drug abuse. He added that anyone found involved in drug-trafficking had been barred from contesting Panchayat polls.
He said Himachal Pradesh had set an example for the country in tackling drug menace and that the police had made major drug seizures due to the commitment shown by the present government. He said parents of victims of drug, mostly students and youth, could seek police help by dialling 112.
“Normally, people do not come forward with information about their children using drugs even if they know. We will not arrest them. We want families to inform us so that such youth can be helped, taken out of this menace and rehabilitated,” he said.
Sukhu said he held a detailed inter-departmental meeting on tackling drug abuse in Himachal Pradesh. The government has decided to launch the second phase of the anti-chitta campaign in the state from August 1 to August 20, 2026, during which police officials will sensitise educational institutions across districts against drug abuse.
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