All the individuals joining any government service/department of Himachal Pradesh will now have to go through a mandatory dope test as proposed by the Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Chairing a meeting of administrative secretaries, Sukhu said protecting the youth from the menace of drug abuse remains a top priority for his government.
The chief minister sought details of action taken against government employees found involved in the trafficking of 'chitta' (adulterated heroin) and said the state government had launched a mass movement against drugs while taking stringent action against the drug mafia.
On May 11, the government had directed officials to take action against 123 government employees found to be involved in drug-related activities. Of them, 31 employees — including 21 from the police department — had already been suspended from their services.
The chief minister also asked departments to provide complete details of applicants seeking employment on compassionate grounds so the state government can take an appropriate decision on pending cases.
Reviewing employee welfare measures, he directed all departments to ensure early payments of pending gratuity and leave encashment dues of Class-IV pensioners, in line with his budget announcement.
Sukhu also sought information on vacant posts across departments to facilitate early recruitment, announcing that the government had decided to fill 500 posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT).
Sukhu further directed officials to compile data on trees uprooted or felled on forest land due to recent storms, so that they can be removed in a time-bound manner.
A special campaign for the same initiative will begin on June 1. The chief minister said delays in clearing fallen trees result in losses to the State's resources and directed the Forest department officers to ensure their prompt removal and timely disposal on a priority basis.
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